INFORMATION BOOKLET

FOR NEW MUSLIMS

********
THIS BOOK CONTAINS:

Guide To Islam for New Muslim-

Muslim- By Yahiya Emerick

The Prerequisites of the Declaration of Faith-

Faith- By Jamaal al-
al-Din Zarabozo

Prayer or Salaah-
Salaah- By Muhammad Yusuf Islahi

Etiquettes of Friday

New Muslim’s FAQ’s

MSA-ODU
“Educate, Participate, Illuminate”
Muslim Students Association-Old Dominion University
www.msaodu.com

1
 Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
In the Name of Allah,
The Compassionate Source of All Mercy.
Islamic Foundation of North America
http://www.ifna.net
Guide to Islam for New Muslims
By Yahiya Emerick

Assalamu 'alaykum, peace be with you.

We would like to welcome you to the world of Islam. After receiving so many requests from new
and potential Muslims for Islamic information, we have decided to compile this resource guide to
further your search for knowledge and to put the resources of the entire Muslim Ummah
(community) within reach.

This resource guide* covers four main areas:

The first section is a summary of basic Islamic teachings and practices.

The second section concerns advice for Muslims on the path to truth.
The third section is a listing of the best books for a Muslim to read.
And finally, a listing of basic Islamic terms that you, as a new Muslim, ought to learn is provided.

May your path to knowledge be fruitful and may your road to truth lead you to the right way.
Ameen (Let it be so).

To become a Muslim you only have to sincerely believe in

and say the following phrase:

"Ash hadu an la ilaha ill Allah wa ash hadu anna Muhammadar Rasul Allah."

"I declare there is no god but Allah and I declare that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

Section 1
Basic Islamic Teachings
I. Beliefs.
Islam has seven main beliefs. They are contained in the formula known as the Iman ul Mufassal. It
goes as follows, "Amantu bil lahi wa mala-ikatihi wa kutubihi wa rasulihi wal yowm ul akhiri wal
qadri, khayrihi wa sharihi min Allahi ta'ala wal ba'ith ba'ed al mowt."

*
Please note that the contents in this booklet are a brief review and not a comprehensive literature on Islam. It is recommended that
New Muslims discuss aspects of Islam with knowledgeable Muslims, Scholars and refer to authentic literature in various topics of
Islam. May Allah guide us all to the righteous path. Ameen.
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In English it means, "I believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day,
Measurement, both the good and the bad are from Allah the exalted, and in life after death."

A. Allah. This is the name for "God" in Arabic. Allah is not a human, not a male and not a female.
We only say the term "He" when referring to Him because there is no "It" in Arabic. All nouns are
automatically masculine or feminine. Allah created everything and was never created. He is never
born, He never has children and the human mind cannot encompass His magnitude and greatness.
He is loving but just, merciful but stern. Only by surrendering to His will can we come into
accordance with His universal will.

B. Angels: They are not human, nor male or female. They are the servants of Allah and never rebel
against him. We believe in a devil-creature called Shaytan (Satan) but he is not a fallen angel. He is
a creature called a Jinn who rebelled against Allah. Angels record our good deeds and bad and are
behind the events of nature and enforce Allah's will in the universe, although He doesn't need their
help.

C. Books: Allah has sent revelation to thousands of humans throughout history. Some of those
revelations were organized bodies of teachings meant to be recorded as "books" whether written or
oral to be handed on to future generations. We know the names of five of these books. They are: the
scrolls of Ibrahim, (Abraham), the Taurah of Musa, (Moses), the Zabur (Psalms) of Dawud, (David),
the Injeel of 'Esa (Gospel of Jesus) and the Qur'an of Muhammad, Peace be upon them all, (NOTE:
While referring to Prophets of Islam, Muslims add to their name, a prayer, i.e. “Peace be upon him
(or them)” or “Alaihi salam”. In the same notion while referring to Prophet Muhammad, Muslims
add a prayer which reads; “May Allah shower Peace and Blessings upon him” or “Sal-lal-allahu
alaihi wassallam”). Only the last book i.e. Quran has survived until the present day. All others
have been lost or altered so much so that they are all but worthless.

D. Messengers: These are Allah's Prophets and Message-bringers to whom Allah gave revelation.
Every nation and race on earth received at least one in the past. They all taught the same message:
to surrender to Allah and do righteous deeds. Thus we say they all taught Islam. The first was
Adam (Peace be upon him) and the last was Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The Qur'an
mentions the name of 25 Prophets and Messengers.

E. The Last Day: Human history will end one day. Allah will end the earth at some future date and
all human beings that ever lived will be raised up for Judgment Day. After each person's good and
bad deeds as well as their beliefs are examined, they will be sent to either Paradise (Jannah) or Hell
(Jahannam).

F. Measurement: Allah has measured the length of our life in this world, our economic status,
where we will die, etc... The word "Qadr" is sometimes translated as destiny or pre-destination or
even fate. But the word actually means "to measure."

G. Life After Death: Eternal life in either Heaven or Hell for our souls based on what we believed
and did while we lived in the world. Some people will be taken out of hell and admitted to heaven
when the term of their punishment is over.

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II. Practices.

Islam has seven main practices in the life of a Muslim. Five of those practices are grouped together
and are known as the Arkan al Islami, or Pillars of Islam. The following Hadith lists them as
follows: "Buniyal Islamu 'ala khamsin: Shahadati an la ilaha ill Allah wa anna Muhammadar Rasul
Allah. Wa ooqimus Salati wa i-ta azakati wa hajjil bayti wa saumi Ramadan."

In English it means: "Islam is built on five things: Declaring that there is no god but Allah and that
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Establishing Prayer, paying the Charity, making a
pilgrimage to the House and fasting in Ramadan."

A. Shahadah. Declaration of Faith. Saying, "Ash hadu an la ilaha ill Allah wa ash hadu anna
Muhammadar Rasul Allah." "I declare there is no god but Allah and I declare that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah."

B. Salah. Prayer. This is the ritual prayer that Muslims perform at five set times each day. To
neglect any one of them counts as a sin. The names and times of each prayer are as follows:

1. Fajr. Before sunrise.

2. Zuhr. About a half an hour after noon.

3. 'Asr. About two to three hours before sunset.

4. Maghrib. Immediately after sunset.

5. 'Isha. After the last light of the departing sun is gone from the sky.

C. Zakah. Purifying Charity. It is the annual payment of 2.5% of our yearly economic
accumulations, after expenses, for the benefit of the poor, orphans, the needy, etc...

D. Saum. Fasting. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims abstain from all food, drink, anger, sex,
smoking and bad deeds from just before fist light until sunset. This is a training time for us to learn
to control our gluttony, anger and bodily needs. We learn our mind is stronger than our urges,
weaknesses and desires.

E. Hajj. Pilgrimage. A once in a life-time trip to Mecca to purify your soul and reconnect with our
ultimate purpose in life. The month of Hajj is when millions of Muslims all over the world arrive to
serve Allah wearing only simple, white clothes and no status or titles. We remember the real
poverty of this world and the severity of the Day of Judgment.

The other two practices are known as Da'wah and Jihad. Da'wah means calling others to Islam and
Jihad means to struggle in Allah's cause. That struggling can be physical, spiritual or mental. The
word Jihad does not mean "Holy War."

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III. Holidays.

There are only two official holidays in Islam. One comes at the end of Ramadan and is called the
'Eid ul Fitr. (Festival of the Fast Breaking). The other comes at the end of the Hajj and is called the
'Eid ul Adha. (Festival of the Sacrifice.)

Some Muslims celebrate such things as the birthday of the Prophet, (Mawlud un Nabi), or the 'Eid
ul Ghadir (which is a much later holiday centered on 'Ali, the Prophet's cousin, whom a group of
Muslims called "Shi'a" revere), but standard Islam (Qur'an + Prophet's sayings and examples of
companions) doesn't seem to give any overt or tacit support to these holidays. The Blessed Prophet
said in authentic sayings that there were only two holidays in Islam, 'Eid ul Fitr and 'Eid ul Adha,
and that's all Muslims should celebrate.

IV. Halal and Haram.

Halal items are allowed by Allah. Most foods in the world are Halal. Haram means forbidden by
Allah. Haram foods are alcohol and other intoxicants, pork, carrion, most carnivorous animals,
meat dedicated to idols. For the meat of an animal, other than seafood, to be Halal for a Muslim, it
must be slaughtered in a specific manner. The process is called Dhabiha (or Zabiha). Basically it is
a similar procedure to the Jewish method of kosher preparation. Kosher meat is also allowed for
Muslims, as per the Qur'an. Some Muslims believe that "supermarket" meat and fast food meat is
also halal, but Allah said in the Qur'an that the meat prepared by the Jews and Christians is
allowed, whereas almost no one in America practices Christianity anymore, as it was practiced in
ancient times. Modern slaughtering techniques, with their attendant cruelty and unsanitary nature,
do not pass the halal test for us. It is a bit of a hardship but we believe in the prevention of cruelty
to animals and modern slaughterhouses are places of tremendous cruelty. There are detailed books
on the subject.

There are also Halal and Haram ways to make money. Any business or activity that involves
Interest-money is Haram as is any business involving gambling, alcohol, Haram foods or deceit.

V. Male/Female Relations.

Islam provides a code of manners for male/female interaction outside the home. It is impossible
not to interact with the opposite sex in daily life such as in the workplace, school or shopping
centers. Some very conservative Muslims have this silly and misguided notion that men and
women are forbidden to have any interaction unless they're married. Reading the Qur'an and
Hadith, however, we get a different picture. The early Muslims, until recent times, had a relatively
egalitarian attitude towards male/female relations. Muslims have only freaked out in the last two
hundred years with isolationism and ultra-conservatism becoming rampant. Today's arch
conservatives would have you believe that a woman's place is in the kitchen and nothing more, but
this is not what you will find when you read about Muslim society in former times. Men and
women can interact in legitimate settings such as in a business, market, school or social gathering
provided they follow certain points of etiquette.

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A. Women and men must be wearing clothes that fulfill Islamic requirements of decency. Men must
be covered from the knees to the neck. A turban or other form of a hat is strongly recommended.
Muslim men are required to have some sort of a beard if they can grow one. Many secular minded
Muslims disagree with this point, because they feel inferior to European-derived civilization which
usually shuns the beard, but the Prophet said in a Hadith for men to grow a beard.

Women must be covered from their ankles to their necks and down to their wrists in loose fitting
clothes. In addition, a head covering must be wrapped over the hair. This is called the Hijab, or
scarf.

B. An unmarried man and woman should never be alone together in a room. No person should
ever be alone with someone of the opposite sex unless they are married to that person.

C. Men and women are not to talk to each other in a soft or intimate-sounding voice unless they are
married to each other. Women are to address men in a firm and even tone so that the men don't get
any false ideas.

D. When meeting and greeting: Men shake hands and hug only other men. Women shake hands
and hug only other women. (Unless they are married to each other, of course.)

E. Men and women who are not married to each other never touch.

F. If two people are interested in getting married, the woman should arrange for a male relative to
act on her behalf as her representative. That way she doesn't have to feel pressured or undignified.
If a woman doesn't have any reliable male relatives to represent her interests, she may choose
another Muslim male, usually an Imam or other trusted person to act on her behalf.

VI. Names.

Islam does not require a person to change his or her name. The only case where a person should
think about changing their name is if the meaning of their name is offensive. (Once a man came to
the Prophet and introduced himself. The man's name meant "Downcast and somber." The Prophet
suggested he change his name to a better once such as Abdur Rahman: "Servant of the Merciful.")

Many Muslims like to take on Islamic or Arabic-style names as an expression of their affiliation, but
this is not required. An Arab name is not always an Islamic name. Names identified with Islam
exclusively usually have some relationship to being a servant of Allah or to the Prophet and the
most famous Muslims around him.

There are many books which give lists of names associated with both Islam and Muslim culture.
Refer to online bookstores for these books.

VII. Islamic Phrases.

Islam has its own key phrases to use in daily life. Some of these are listed below along with the
times to use them.

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1. When starting to do something: "Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem."

(In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.)

2. When mentioning something that will be done in the future. "Insha'llah." (If Allah wills.)

3. When praising something say, "Subhanullah." (Glory to Allah.)

4. When in pain or distress. "Ya Allah." (O Allah.)

5. When appreciating something say, "Masha-Allah." (As Allah willed.)

6. When thanking someone. "Jazakullah." (Allah reward you.)

7. When you see something bad. "Nowthzubillah." (Allah protect us.)

8. When saying you're sorry to Allah for a sin. "Astaghfirullah." (Allah forgive.)

9. After sneezing or when you're happy about something. "Alhumdulillah." (Praise Allah.)

10. When meeting someone. "Assalamu 'alaykum." (Peace be upon you.)

11. Replying to the above greeting. "Wa 'alaykum assalam." (And upon you be peace.)

12. When hearing about a death or tragedy. "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun."

(To Allah we belong and to Him we return.)

13. When giving in charity. "Fee eemanullah." (In Allah's faith.)

14. When taking an oath. "Wallah." (I Swear to Allah.)

15. If someone sneezes and they say, "alhumdulillah," you reply with, "Yarhamakullah." (Allah have
mercy upon you.) The sneezer will reply back, "Yehdikumullah" which means, "Allah guide you."

Section 2
Advice for Muslims
Books for Learning
After reviewing hundreds of books, we have selected the following materials as the best in quality,
writing style, accuracy and content for Islamic education.

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 Part A
The Best Qur'an Translations
1. The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an. Translated by 'Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Amana Publications.

Strengths: It is very easy to get, the deluxe edition contains the Arabic text and has very
nice commentary. It is a standard translation used all over the world. You can also find this
translation with a transliteration sometimes.

Weaknesses: The English translation is in old style English, some translated passages are not clear.
Cost: Between $10 and $20 depending on the size and style of printing.

2. The Noble Qur'an. Translated by Muhsin Khan and T. Al Hilali. Dar ul Ihya.

Strengths: The English is sort of easy to read with comprehensive parenthetical notes. It has the
Arabic text printed very sharply. It's accuracy is good.

Cost: The book comes in many sizes from tiny to large. Prices vary from $10 to $30.

3. The Glorious Qur'an. Translated by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall.

Strengths: It is available everywhere, oftentimes for free.

Weaknesses: The English is so hard to understand that it's almost impossible to read. Cost: Free up
to $20.

4. The Noble Reading. Translated by T.B. Irving.

Strengths: It is in fairly modern English. It is attractively printed.

Weaknesses: The English is often awkward and there are many unusual words used, e.g. sprites,
etc... Cost: $10-$30.

5. The Message of the Qur'an. Translated by Muhammad Asad. Dar ul Andalus.

Strengths: This is the most comprehensive, single volume translation and tafseer you will ever find
in one volume in English. It is excellent, to put it mildly, if your interest is to understand the context
of revelation and the fine details behind Qur'anic teachings.

Weaknesses: It is a hard to find book. Some of the tafseer glosses over more difficult concepts
making it harder to understand what is actually being said. It is Hardcover only and is 8.5 X 11
inches in size. Cost: About $50.00 on average.

6. Towards Understanding the Qur'an. Multiple Volumes. Translated by A.A. Maududi and Zafar
I. Ansari.

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Strengths: Very clear English. Very detailed commentary. Very accurate and reliable.

Weaknesses: It comes in multiple volumes. The cost is high and not all volumes are available yet,
but it is worth the money as far as detailed learning is concerned. Currently volumes 1-6 are
available covering Surahs 1-24.

7. El Coran. Spanish Translation by Abdel Ghani Melara Navio. This is one of the only Spanish
translations done by a Muslim. The other Spanish translation with the same name is done by a
Christian named Julio Cortes. Only the Muslim translation should be used because Julio Cortes
declared that he wanted to distort the Qur'an in Spanish. (Read his preface and Intro in Spanish.) A
new translation by Amana is now available. We will review it shortly.

8. The Qur'an. Translated by Muhammad Farooq Malik. (of Texas) This translation has been
chosen as the easiest to read by various groups of Muslim teenagers I have presented it to.
Although there is no index and the introductory notes are not as detailed as other translations, it is
probably the best translation to give to native speakers of English and to Muslim teenagers.

Strengths: Clear, easy to read style. Teenagers prefer its language to any other.

Weaknesses: No index, odd notes placed within the text, odd style of numbering verses and over-
wordy Surah introductions. The organization is sometimes unclear and the size of the book is too
large and unwieldy.

9. The Qur'an. Translated by M.A.S. Abdul Haleem. Published by Oxford University Press.

Strengths: This is probably the best translation in English that I have seen so far.

Weaknesses: There isn't really any peripheral material such as a good index, glossary, etc...

There are other Qur'an translations available, but they either suffer from choppy English and bad
grammar or are difficult to get. Examples include those by Shakir, Ahmed Ali, Ameer Ali,
Daryabadi, etc.. Beware of non-Muslim translations. They distort the meanings of Qur'anic verses
on purpose and even admit to doing it in their introductions just so they can insult Islam. Some
non-Muslim translations are by N.J. Dawood, Rodwell, Sales, Arberry and others. Other distorted
versions are “The Holy Qur'an as Explained by Allamah Nooruddin”, Translated By A. and A.
Omar. The book is nicely printed with a leather cover. It "feels" holy because of its meticulously
designed presentation. However, some of the translated verses are not entirely accurate to the
meaning or understanding of the majority of Muslims. The translators are Qadianis (a sectarian
group outside of normal Islam) and may not even be legal Muslims according to Islamic
definitions.

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 Part B
The Best Books For Learning Islamic Beliefs
1. What Islam is All About. By Yahiya Emerick.
Covers everything.

2. Islam: Beliefs and Teachings. By Ghulam Sarwar.

Good basic overview. PB

3. Revolution by the Book. Imam Jamil Al Amin.

Good basic overview. PB

4. Fate and Predestination. Sheikh Muhammad al Sharawi.

Best book on this difficult subject.

5. Ihya Uloom ud Din. Imam al Ghazali.

An excellent classical work on Islamic beliefs and how the thinking person lives them.

6. The Remembrance of Death and the After-Life. Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad al Ghazali.

Pretty much the best book for issues on life after death.

7. Let Us Be Muslims. Abul A'la Maududi.

Explains the need for sincerity and also goes over the significance of our practices.

8. Islam in Focus. Hamuddah Abdel Ati.

Although the writing is a little dry, it is a good general reference.

9. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam. By Yahiya Emerick.

A complete overview of Islam from start to finish.

10. The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Koran. Sheikh Sarwar.

A good overview of the Qur'an's major themes in modern terminology.

11. The Ideal Muslim. Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi; Nasiruddin al-Khattab (translator). In this
title, the author gives a clear overview of the practical aspects of the Islamic lifestyle, as exemplified
by the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions (pbuh). Moving from the innermost aspect of the
individual's spiritual life to his dealings with all those around him, one can see how the Muslim is
expected to interact with all others in his life.
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12. The Ideal Muslimah. Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi; Nasiruddin al-Khattab (translator). At a
time when Muslim women are being increasingly attracted by "feminist theories" and "women's
studies," this book serves as a timely reminder that the unique and authentic sources of Islam have
always spoken of the rights of women and recognized women as full partners in the human venture
of history. The translation of this book into English will render this valuable information more
readily accessible to all the Muslims whose mother-tongue is not Arabic.

13. The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam. Yusuf Al Qaradawi. Written by the eminent Egyptian
scholar, this immensely popular work knew over 20 editions in Arabic before this English
translation. It defines the halal and haram in a scholarly manner that is accessible to the common
man, dealing mainly with social issues.

Part C
The Best Books For Learning the Prophet's Life
and the Lives of His Sahaba. (Companions)
1. The Life of Muhammad. M. H. Haykal.
Extremely detailed and fun to read.

2. Muhammad. By Martin Lings.

Reads like an old-style novel. Not always entirely accurate.

3. The Life of Muhammad. Tahia Ismail.

Very good book.

4. Al Raheeq al Makhtum. The Sealed Nectar.

Very good, but HB only.

5. Companions of the Prophet. 2 Vols. Abdul Wahid Hamid.

The best books on the subject in English.

6. God-Oriented Life. Maulana Wahiduddin Khan.

This book will change your life for the better. A must read.

7. Muhammad. By Yahiya Emerick. A bio that reads like a novel.

Part D
The Best Books For Learning Arabic
1. Easy Steps in Arabic. Abdul Wahid Hamid. MELS. Beginner level. Booklets, cassettes.

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2. Access to Qur'anic Arabic. Abdul Wahid Hamid. MELS. Advanced Level. Books and cassettes.

3. Arabic Grammar Made Easy. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips. Intermediate Level. One book.

4. Arabic Writing Made Easy. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips. Intermediate Level. One book.

5. Mastering Arabic. J. Wightwick and M. Ghaafar. Intermediate to Advanced Level. Focuses on

spoken Arabic more than Qur'anic Arabic, though. One Book and two cassettes.

6. Elementary Modern Standard Arabic. U. of Michigan. Available from Kazi Publications. It is an

organized course but a teacher is required to get the full benefit of its broad scope.

Part E
The Best Books of Hadith (Prophet's Sayings)
Many Muslims like to get an entire set of the main hadith collections such as Bukhari or Muslim,
but there is a more cost-effective way to get a lot of authentic ahadith. There are many collections
put together by different scholars that take Hadiths from all the six main collections of Bukhari,
Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, An Nisa'i and Abu Dawud. They are listed as follows:

1. Riyadh us Saliheen. Compiled By Imam An Nawawi.

2. Mishkat ul Masabih. A hadith collection.

3. Summarized Bukhari. (Hadith collection in one volume) by Al Hilali and Khan.

4. A Study of Hadith. By Khalid M. Shaikh. (For understanding Hadith terms, etc...)

5. Hadith Literature: Its Origin, Development and Special Features. Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqui.

(The best book for those seeking an in-depth book into how the Hadith were recorded and the
sciences around it.)

Part F
The Best Books For Spiritual Reading
1. Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship. Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad al Ghazali.

2. Thinking About God. Ruqaiyah Waris Maqsood..

3. American Islam. Richard Wormser.

12
4. On Disciplining the Soul and Breaking the Chains of the Two Desires. Imam al Ghazali.

5. Struggling to Surrender. Jeffrey Lang.

6. Even Angels Ask. Jeffrey Lang.

7. Jewels of Remembrance. Camille and Kabir Helminski.

8. Living and Dying With Grace. Trans. by Thomas Cleary.

9. The Alchemy of Happiness. Imam al Ghazali.

10. The Road to Mecca. By Muhammad Asad.

11. Remembrance and Prayer. Muhammad al Ghazali.

12. Forty Hadith Qudsi. Imam an Nawawi.

13. Daughters of Another Path. Carol Anway.

Part G
The Best Books For Special Topics
1. How To Tell Others About Islam. By Yahiya Emerick. (Da'wah, or Islamic Outreach)

2. The Bible, Qur'an and Science. By Maurice Bucaille. (Science and Islam)

3. The Islamic Nation. Ali Nawaz Memon. (Politics)

4. Islam, Black Nationalism and Slavery. Adib Rashad. (History)

5. Imam Bukhari's Book on morals and Manners. Imam Bukhari. (HB) (Hadith)

6. The Proper Conduct of Marriage. Imam al Ghazali. (Marriage advice for men)

7. The Muslim Marriage Guide. Ruqayyah Waris Maqsood. (Marriage advice for women and to a
lesser extent, men)

8. The Muslim Woman's Handbook. Huda al Khattab. (Everyday women's Issues)

9. The Evolution of Fiqh. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips. (History of Fiqh)

10. The Child in Islam. Norma Tarazi. (Children/Family)

13
11. Bent Rib. Huda al Khattab. (Women's Issues)

12. Reliance of the Traveler. Trans. by Nuh Ha Mim Keller. (Fiqh)

13. The Lawful and Prohibited in Islam. Yusuf al Qaradawi. (Fiqh)

14. Hans/Wehr Arabic-English Dictionary. (Its the most useful Arabic/English Dictionary)

15. The Choice. 2 Vols. Ahmad Deedat. (Comparative Religion)

16. Covering Islam. By Edward Said. (Media and Islam)

17. Jesus a Prophet of Islam. By M. Ata ur Rahim. (Comparative Religion)

18. The Myth of the Cross. A.D. Ajijola. (Comparative Religion)

19. Subverting Islam. Ahmad Ghorab. (Islam vs Misinformation in college)

20. Al Ahkam as-Sultaniyyah. Abul Hasan al Mawardi. (Islamic Government at Work)

21. Fiqh us Sunnah. 5 Vols. Sayyid Sabiq. (Excellent Fiqh reference books)

22. In Search of Islamic Feminism. Elizabeth Fernea. (Women's Issues)

Most if these Books and Quran’s can be found in the following websites:

o www.islamicbookstore.com
o www.halalco.com
o www.dar-us-salam.com
o www.soundvision.com
o www.astrolabe.com
o www.noorart.com

Part H
Videos for Learning
1. Living Islam. 6 Volumes. Akbar Ahmad. IBTS.
2. Women in Islam. 2 Volumes. IBTS.
3. The Message. IBTS.
4. The Book of Signs. Sound Vision.
5. The Qur'an and Space Sciences. IBTS.
6. The Guests of God. IBTS.
7. Muhammad the Last Messenger. IBTS.
8. Salat. IBTS.

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9. Hamza Yusuf: On Islam and Muslims. IBTS.
10. Jesus and Muhammad: A Comparative Study. Ahmad Deedat.
11. Is the Bible the Word of God? Hamza Abdel Malik. IBTS.
12. Islam: A Closer Look. IBTS.
13. Pathways to Islam. IBTS.
14. Christ in Islam. Ahmad Deedat. IBTS.
15. The Making of the Last Prophet. Yusuf Islam. Astrolabe.
16. Americans Becoming Muslims. Aminah Assilmi. IBTS.
Most if these videos can be found in the following websites:
o www.islamicbookstore.com
o www.halalco.com
o www.dar-us-salam.com
o www.soundvision.com
o www.astrolabe.com
o www.noorart.com

Part I
Audios for Learning/Enjoyment
1. We are Muslims. (Children's' Songs) IBTS

2. The Most Beautiful Names. (Very nice Islamic Chanting) IBTS

3. The Easy Way to Learn the Last 14 Surahs. IBTS

4. Adhan and How to Make Wudu and Salat. IBTS

5. Choosing Islam: Sahaba and Sahabiyat as Our Role models. Hamza Yusuf/Yusuf Islam.

6. The Life of the Last Prophet. Yusuf Islam. Sound Vision.

7. The Fundamentals of Islam. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips. (Lecture) IBTS.

8. What Every American Should Know About Islam and Muslims. Jeffrey Lang. IBTS

9. Islam in America: Past, Present and Future. Imam Abdullah Hakim Quick. (Lecture) IBTS.

10. Introduction to Islam and Muslims in North America. Imam Abdullah Hakim Quick. (Lecture)
IBTS.

11. Deeper Roots: Muslims in the Americas Before Columbus. Imam Abdullah Hakim Quick.
(Lecture) IBTS.

15
12. Muslim Character. Abu Ameenah Bilal Phillips. (Lecture) IBTS.

13. Anything from Ahmad Deedat if your interest is comparative. Available everywhere.

Most if these audios can be found in the following websites:

o www.islamicbookstore.com
o www.halalco.com
o www.dar-us-salam.com
o www.soundvision.com
o www.astrolabe.com
o www.noorart.com

Section 3
Where to Find Learning Materials
Recommended Bookstores

1. Islamic Bookstore (www.islamicbookstore.com)

2. Sound Vision (www.soundvision.com)
3. Astrolabe (www.astrolabe.com)
4. Noorart (www.noorart.com )
5. Halalco (www.halalco.com)
6. Darus-Salam (www.dar-us-salam.com)

National Islamic Organizations

1. ISNA (Oriented towards organization of Muslims in North America. Holds annual conferences
and conventions)

PO Box 38, Plainfield, IN 46168 1-317-839-8157 www.isna.net

2. ICNA (Oriented towards organization of Muslims in North America. Holds annual conferences
and conventions)

166-26 89th Ave, Jamaica NY 11432 718-658-1199

Free Islamic Question/Answer service at 1-800-662-ISLAM www.icna.org

3. Muslim American Society (MAS) www.masnet.org (Politically, Civil Rights oriented, also has
educational programs for youth and adults, works closely with ICNA. Holds annual conferences
and conventions)

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4. Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR) www.cair.net (Muslim Civil Rights oriented)

5. Islamic Assembly of North America. www.iananet.org .

6. World Ministry of W.D. Muhammad (Oriented mostly towards African-American concerns.

Holds a major convention annually.)

Magazines

1. Islamic Horizons. www.isna.net/services/horizons (ISNA publications. National issues of

concern to Muslims.)

PO Box 38, Plainfield, IN 46168 1-317-839-8157

2. The Message. www.messageonline.org (ICNA publications. Da'wah-oriented with some

emphasis on politics and social issues.)

166-26 89th Ave, Jamaica NY 11432 718-658-1199

3. Al Jumu'ah. www.al-jumuah.com (Muslim issues in America, also focuses on Youth and Islamic
education.)

PO Box 5387 Madison, WI 53705 608-277-1855

4. Azizah Magazine. www.azizahmagazine.com (Women's magazine)

Section 4
Basic Islamic Terms
Every way of life has its own vocabulary. This enables people to communicate about detailed topics using only
a few key words. It is important that Muslims learn the vocabulary of Islam so that we all know what we're
talking about. This unites us as Muslims and brings us closer to a sense of belonging to the same community.

Abdul: This means "Servant of." Many Muslims like to change their names from non-Muslim
names to Muslim names. A favorite choice is Abdul. But who is the person a servant of? You must
always have something after "Abdul." The place to look is in the 99 Names of Allah. Allah has many
names, such as Wadud (the Loving), Malik (the King), Rahman (The Merciful), Hakim (the Wise.)
Just add one of those after Abdul and you become "The Servant of _______". (For example: Abdul
Khaliq: The Servant of the Creator.) etc...

Adab: Manners.

Adhan: (Athzan) The call to prayer.

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Ahl al Kitab: This means the "People of the Book." Allah uses this term in the Qur'an to refer to the
Jews, Christians and any other people who received revelation from an authentic Prophet in the
past. Because the Ahl al Kitab lost their revelations and twisted the teachings they had, Allah sent
one last Messenger to the world, the Prophet Muhammad. He brought the Qur'an from Allah. The
Ahl al Kitab are called to believe in Allah's last message. To repeat: their own message has been lost
or changed so much that there is very little of Allah's truth left in it. The Bible is not the word of
Allah. It is a book made up of people's writings that was put together by Europeans in the year 325
at Nicea. That's 300 years after the time of Prophet Jesus ('Esa).

Ahmadiyya: A sectarian movement that began in India over one hundred years ago. They believe
that one man named Ahmed Ghulam is a new prophet from God. Their worldwide headquarters
are in Haifa, Israel, and they have missions worldwide.

Akhee: My brother.

Akhirah: The next life.

Akhlaq: Your character and behavior.

Alhumdu lillah: All Praise is for Allah.

'Alim: A scholar. The plural is 'Ulema.

Allah: The name for God in the Arabic language. (Literally: THE GOD). Muslims prefer to say
"Allah" no matter what language they speak because in Arabic it is a stand-alone word. In other
words, you can't make it masculine or feminine, plural or whatever. In English you can change
"God" to Gods, Goddesses, Demi-God, etc... There is no way to do that in Arabic to the name, Allah.

Islam teaches that Allah is not a male or a female, nor is He black or white. He is not even a human
like us. We only use the term "He" when we refer to Him because their is no "it" in Arabic and it
seems disrespectful to call Allah an "it" in English. Allah sometimes refers to Himself as "We" or
"Us" but don't be mislead. In many languages, (including English) a single being can call himself a
"We" if he wants to so that it emphasizes his power. Allah is everywhere and nowhere. He is never
tired and He never needs a "rest." He is Loving and the upholder of justice and He is the Source of
Creation.

Allahu Akbar: "Allah is the Greatest." This is the universal catch-all phrase of Muslims. When a
Muslim shouts, "Takbeer" (Who's the Greatest!) everyone replies with "Allah Akbar!"

Amir: This means a leader. The Prophet said every group of Muslims must make a leader among
them, even if they were only three in number. An Amir is not a dictator and can't just order people
around, however. He must also be elected by the consent of the majority. Because Allah said
believers consult each other in their affairs (shura), the Amir must listen to the opinions of the
Muslim group and take them seriously. If an Amir begins to clearly go against Islamic teachings,
then the Muslims must elect a new one.

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Angels: In Arabic they are called the Mala-ika. They are created from light energy. Their only
purpose is to serve Allah. They are behind the forces of nature. Some Angels are given the job of
watching humans and noting their deeds for judgment day. Angels can take on physical form, sort
of like a hologram, and can appear as humans or whatever. They are all good and never disobey
Allah. They are not male or female. Christianity teaches that some angels went bad and that's where
Satan and the devils came from. Islam teaches that this is not true. Angels are also not people
running around in white robes with halos over their head.

Ansar: The helpers. The basic reference is to the new Muslims of Medina who helped the Prophet
and the Meccan Muslims after they fled Mecca.

Arabic: A language which originated in the Middle East, specifically in the Arabian peninsula. It is
the language Allah chose to reveal His last revelation to the world in.

Arkan al Islami: This means the Pillars of Islam. There are five main practices or "pillars" in the life
of a Muslim.

Assalamu 'alaykum: "Peace be upon you." This is the universal Muslim greeting. The Prophet said
that Muslims must use this greeting when they meet. There are also verses in the Qur'an about it. If
a person approaches a group, the person should say it first. A younger person should greet an older
person first. The reply is "Wa alaykum assalam." "And upon you be peace."

Ayah: A verse of the Qur'an. The word literally means a "sign." The plural is Ayat.

Barzakh: The time in between our death and the day we are raised up for judgment. Our souls will
be in "storage" or Barzakh. The word literally means, "Partition" or "Dividing Line."

Bid'a: This means "Innovation" or "Unauthorized Changes." The Prophet forbade people from
making any changes to the teachings or practices of Islam. He said such things and people would
go to the Hell fire.

Da'wah: This means calling people (to Islam). If you're talking to someone about Islam you're doing
Da'wah. A Da'i is the person who does Da'wah.

Deen: Way of Life. Islam is not a religion, it's a way of life.

Dhikr (Thzikr): This means to remember Allah. When you repeat words or sentences over and over
so you can meditate on Allah and cleanse your mind, you are doing or making dhikr. Common
dhikr phrases are: "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no god but Allah.) "Subahanullah wa
Bihumdeehee" (Glory to Allah and His is the Praise.) Saying that last one 100 times gets all your sins
forgiven according to the Blessed Prophet. There are many more. Many Muslims like to get those
prayer beads to help them keep count but the Prophet said you get more reward if you do it on
your fingers alone.

Du'a: This means to call on Allah. Whenever you ask Allah for something, whether out loud or
inside, you are calling on Him. You can make du'a in any words, in any language and Allah has

19
promised to respond, although in a way we might not expect. Many Muslims like to learn some of
the du'as that the Prophet said, but you can use your own words to talk to your Maker.

Dunya: This world. "Hayatud Dunya": "The life of this world."

'Eid: (Or: 'Id.) The Muslim holiday. There are two Eid's. One at the end of fasting in Ramadan is
called Eid ul Fitr. The other after the Hajj is over is called Eid ul Adh ha.

Fard: Something you must do in Islam. Something that is required by Allah for us to do.

Fatwa: A scholar's opinion or judgment on an issue related to Islam. It is not binding on a Muslim if
there is doubt about it or it can be shown to be faulty. Only a recognized scholar, or 'Alim can issue
Fatwas and other scholars must investigate the veracity of their basis.

Fiqh: The science of understanding the Shari'ah. In the past small groups of people with similar
opinions about the Shari'ah joined together and formed intellectual clubs called a Math-hab. Today
there are five big groupings of these Madh-habs. Shaf', Hanbali, Maliki, Jafari and Hanafi. Not all
Muslims accept the Jafari school as valid due to technical reasons. A Muslim can follow the ideas of
any one of them or none of them at all. After all, we have the Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet, the
sayings of his companions and our brains. Don't be afraid to use them.

Ghusl: A full shower. A Ghusl is required after any sexual discharge or activity before prayers can
be offered again. A Ghusl is highly recommended on Fridays before going to Jum'ah prayers.

Hadith: A saying or report by or about the Blessed Prophet. The most reliable collections of Hadith
are named after the scholars who collected them in the early days of Islam and checked on them for
accuracy. They are: Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, An Nisa'i, Ibn Majah. There are some
good books that take Hadiths from the main six and group them by topic. Those good resource
books are as follows: "Riyadh as Saliheen" "Mishkat ul Masabih" and "Al Muwatta."

Hafiz: (Hafithz) A memorizer or guardian of the entire Qur'an.

Hajj: The pilgrimage to Mecca.

Halal: Allowed for a Muslim.

Haram: Forbidden for a Muslim.

Hijab: The scarf a woman wears over her head. Some Muslims who like to compromise their beliefs
say it's not required in Islam. It is, however, required and all women must wear it. The face-veil
(niqab) is not required, but some women like to wear it. Islam does not require a woman to wear
gloves or socks but some very conservative Muslims try to teach this. This is Bid'a. They didn't even
have gloves, for example, in the Prophet's time in Arabia.

Hijra: To migrate. This term refers firstly to the great migration of the Muslims in the year 622 from
the hostile city of Mecca, which was controlled by idol-worshippers, to the safer city of Madinah

20
(then called Yathrib) where Islam could exist freely. The Islamic calendar begins with the Hijra as
the first year.

'Ibadah: This term is often translated as "worship" but it is not a correct translation. The word
worship in English just means praying and bowing, like worshipping in a church. But the term
'Ibadah literally means "service" and it comes from the root word, "to serve." When we say that
Islam considers all life to be 'Ibadah, we mean that our whole life should be lived in the service of
Allah. We are here to serve Allah. In Islam, any good deed, action or thought, even just holding a
steady job or smiling at someone is considered doing 'Ibadah for Allah.

Iftar: The meal you eat after sunset in Ramadan. Suhoor is the light breakfast before first light in the
morning during Ramadan.

Imam: Literally: leader. Although most Muslims take this term in the sense of a leader of the
prayers, it does apply to the group leader outside of prayer as well. An Imam must be elected by
the Muslims or at least accepted by them if he is appointed from outside. If the community rejects
him, then he cannot be the Imam.

Eman: (Eemaan) Belief or faith. The root word of Eman is Amuna. It implies three meanings: 1) to
believe, 2) to confirm that belief in your heart, and 3) to feel safe. Eman is what makes a person a
Muslim. Often spelled "Iman".

Ihsaan: Usually translated as "goodness". The Prophet (p) defined it as knowing that Allah is
watching you even though you don't see Him.

Injeel: The Gospel of Prophet 'Esa (Jesus). The New Testament of the Bible is not the Gospel of
Jesus. The New Testament was written by a lot of different authors and contains stories about
Prophet 'Esa, but it is not 'Esa's message. The present New Testament was assembled three hundred
years after the time of Prophet 'Esa by a group of white men on a Greek Island who voted on what
their "holy" book should contain. Most of the votes were hotly debated! The Roman emperor who
ordered them to do it then told all Christians to accept this new compilation of writings. All other
Christian writings were ordered to be destroyed. The New Testament contains four books called
Gospels: (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Hundreds more "Gospels" from other authors were
burned. A few such as the Gospel of Barnabas and Thomas have survived. The Gospel of Jesus was
never written down and is lost.

Insha'llah: If Allah wills.

Iqamah: The second call to prayer just before the actual prayer begins.

Islam: To surrender to Allah and find peace.

Jahannam: Hell.

Jam'a: Together, in a group.

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Jannah: Paradise, Heaven. It literally means "the Garden."

Jibra'il: The angel that brought Allah's revelation to the Prophet. Allah is so powerful and majestic
that it is beneath him to reveal Himself to humans. We are like an ant next to a star in comparison to
Allah. He sends the angels to do these small jobs, though He doesn't need them. In English his
name is Gabriel.

Jinn: These are another type of creature Allah created. They are invisible to us but they can see us.
They were made from fire elements and thus are pure energy. They are not like ghosts or weird
monsters. They can influence your thoughts, encourage you to do wrong, and whisper fears into
your mind. They can be good or bad. The good jinn leave us alone. The bad ones, who are also
called Shayateen, or Devils, want to destroy you. Astrologers and fortune tellers get their
"predictions" and "readings" from them. Jinn spy on the Angels and learn secrets about the future,
then they whisper it into the minds of the fortune tellers. Jinn live, die and have families like us but
they exist on another plane altogether. The Prophets could control the Jinn but none of us ordinary
people can. Although we believe Jinn can possess a human body, Islam teaches that it's not very
common. Don't believe every "Jinn story" Muslim immigrants will tell you about their aunt or
second cousin's brother. Most of it will be superstitious stories that are culturally based.

Jumu'ah: The Friday Prayer in which all Muslims gather to hear a sermon called a Khutba. It's time
is in place of the Zuhr Salah, usually somewhere between 12 pm and 2 pm. It is mandatory on all
men to attend. It is optional for women. The Prophet said if you miss three Jumu'ahs in a row then
hypocrisy will start to enter your heart.

Kafir: This means a person who covers up the truth. Usually we say the easier English word
"unbeliever." The plural is Kuffar. (Unbelievers.) The noun (unbelief) is Kufr.

Khalifa: This word means Steward, Manager or Care-taker. Allah made humans to be the Khalifa of
the earth. In other words, we were given the earth as a trust to take care of. We shouldn't ruin it or
pollute it. The head of the Muslim Ummah is also called a Khalifa because he is to take care of the
Muslim community. Muslims are supposed to elect a Khalifa, but there hasn't been a world-wide
Khalifa for a long time.

Khatib: The person who gives the Khutba. The preacher on Fridays.

Kitabullah: The Book of Allah. (The Qur'an.) The word Kitab means book.

Mahr: The money (or whatever else) that the man has to give to a woman in order to marry her. It is
called the marriage-gift and a woman can ask for whatever she wants. If it is money, it can be
deferred and paid gradually over time. The husband can never take it away for any reason.

Malik ul Mawt: The Angel of Death.

Masjid: Literally means, "the place of bowing." This is the name for a Muslim prayer hall. The
word, "Mosque" is not of Muslim origin and was invented by the Spanish who said they would

22
swat out the Muslim prayer halls in their country like Mosquitos (Mezquitas). A Muslim never
should say Mosque, rather we say Masjid.

Madh-hab: This means, "School of Thought." In Islam we have the Qur'an, the example of the
Prophet and the sayings and guidance of the Prophet's companions. Through the centuries, various
Muslim scholars have tried to make those teachings easier for Muslims to live by through
organizing them, talking about them and trying to use those tools to find answers to questions
where those first three sources are quiet.

Of course different opinions developed between different scholars and some people chose to follow
one scholar or the other. Those differences in ideas about how to follow Islamic rules are called
"Schools of Thought." There are five main schools today. Some people say you have to "follow" one
of those schools to be a Muslim, but this is not true. You have to follow Islamic teachings but you
don't have to put some label on yourself. Each of the five schools is named after the scholar who
founded or inspired it. The five are: Maliki, Hanafi, Hanbali, Shaf'i and Jafaari. Most "Shi'a"
Muslims follow the Jaafari school. The books and writings of the schools are a good source of
information about the particulars of Islam, but our real label is, "I am a Muslim, forever and only a
Muslim." The Shaf'i school is considered the easiest school and the Hanbali is considered the
hardest in terms of social and personal rules.

Mecca: (Also spelled Makkah). A city in Arabia founded thousands of years ago by Prophet
Ibrahim (Abraham). At that time it was called "Becca." Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,
was born there in the year 570.

Medina: (Also spelled Madinah). A city about 200 miles north of Mecca. The Prophet established
the Islamic community there. He passed away there and is buried there.

Mu'adhan: The person who does the call the prayer.

Mujahid: A person who does Jihad.

Mu'min: A person with Iman. A true believer.

Mus-haf: The Arabic text of the Qur'an. "Brother, hand me a Mus-haf." (Qur'an with the Arabic in
it).

Mushrik: A person who commits Shirk (making partners with Allah). Usually an idol-worshipper.
A Hindu would be considered a Mushrik because they bow down to statues.

Muslim: A person who surrendered to Allah and is working at finding peace.

Nabi: This term means Prophet.

Nafs: This is often translated as "soul" but it really means "the self," i.e. "You and only you."

Naar: The fire (of Hell).

23
Nikkah: The wedding ceremony.

Qadr: This term is often translated as "Destiny" or "Pre-destination." This is not entirely accurate. It
means literally "to measure." The religious idea behind it is that Allah measured everything in the
universe. The length of your life is "measured," as is your fortune and your life's circumstances.
Because of the knowledge of Allah, He knows if you will be a believer or a kafir but He doesn't
make you be either one of those.

Qadiani: Another name for the sectarian Ahmadiyya movement.

Qiblah: The direction of Prayer. All Muslims make their Salat facing Mecca. Allah commanded us
to do this in the Qur'an as a show of unity and to remember Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) who built
the first shrine there in that place so many thousands of years ago. Prophet Adam is said to have
built an even older shrine many thousands of years before that in that very place.

Qur'an: This is the name of the Book Allah revealed to the Prophet Muhammad from the years 610-
632. Allah revealed it in stages, one section at a time, as the Muslims were ready to follow it. It has
114 chapters called Surahs. It was revealed in the Arabic language and has never been lost, changed
or edited, like the Bible or Buddhist books have.

We have lots of translations of the Qur'an into English, but a translation can never be as good as the
original words and their full meaning. All Muslims try to learn Arabic so they can read the Qur'an.
Be advised, there are two different types of Arabic. The first is the language of the Qur'an, in other
words, whatever vocabulary words are used in the Qur'an. The second type of Arabic is everyday
Arabic, in other words, things that would help you talk about a sports game, a vacation or a day at
the office. Many Muslims get bogged down by studying the second type of Arabic. You should
work towards the first type if your main goal is to understand the Qur'an.

Ramadan: The ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims are required to fast from before
sunrise to sunset every day of this month. There are many details concerning this so consult the
section on beliefs and practices.

Rasul: This term means Messenger.

Ruh: Your spirit or soul. Allah gave it to you on loan and thus you had better not sin and dirty it
up.

Sadaqah: Charity.

Sahaba: A companion of the Prophet.

Sahabiyat: The female companions of the Prophet.

Sajda: Bowing on the floor.

24
Salafi: This is the name of a group of Muslims who try as hard as they can to imitate the Blessed
Prophet in every aspect of life. Their name comes from Salaf, (ancestors) which is a reference to the
Sahaba and the generation immediately after them. The Salafis take them as models as well.
Sometimes it may seem that the Salafis emphasize the laws and punishments of Islam so much that
they make you feel there is no Islamic love and mercy. This is because they are sometimes very
zealous in their views. Other Salafis know that the Prophet emphasized the heart and soul more
than outward rules. After all, if you don't have love of Allah deep in your heart, you won't follow
any rules, no matter how harsh the punishments. The great advantage to listening to the Salafis is
that they can always be relied upon to be concerned about what is correct and incorrect. They tend
to be conservative on women's issues. Not all Muslims accept many of their more extreme
positions.

Salat: (or Salah) This means prayer, the prayer in which you stand, bow and prostrate. The literal
meaning of the word is: to make a connection with.

Shahadah: The Declaration of Faith. By believing in and declaring the following phrase, a person
becomes a Muslim: "Ash hadu an la ilaha illallah, wa ash hadu anna Muhammadar rasulullah." "I
declare that there is no god but Allah, and I declare that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
There are other ways to say this formula but this is the most common one. When a person accepts
Islam, all his or her past sins are forgiven and his or her record is wiped clean and they start again
from that moment as if they were just born.

Shaykh: Literally: Chief or Boss. It is the title that Muslims sometimes give to their scholars. It is not
required in Islam but many people like to use this term.

Shari'ah: It is usually translated as Islamic Law. It means the path of Islam.

Shi'a: This is the name of a sect or division in the Muslim community. Shi'aism (Partisanship) began
originally as a political protest against the first Khalifa, Abu Bakr but it eventually grew into a
separate sect of Muslims with its own version of Islamic teachings. About 10-15% of the world's
Muslims are Shi'as. While they are still Muslims and believe in almost everything that Sunnis do,
there are some serious differences in their understanding and practice of Islam vis-à-vis the
majority Sunni community.

The biggest group of Shi'as are known as the Twelvers, (they believe in a line of 12 leaders) then
there are the Seveners, Isma'ilis, Alawiya and others. The Baha'is came out of the Shi'a community
in Iran. (Baha'ism is a religion created with the backing of the British in the 1800's.) The Druze of
Syria and Lebanon also came from Shi'aism. All Shi'a groups share a belief that the Prophet's
cousin, 'Ali, should have been the first Khalifa, not the fourth, and that only blood relatives of the
Prophet Muhammad can be Khalifas.

Shirk: This is the greatest and most terrible sin. It is the one sin that can keep your soul out of
Paradise and doom you to Hellfire. It means making partners with Allah. If a person says that there
are many gods, or says that Allah is divided up into different people (such as the Trinity teaching of
Christianity) then they are committing Shirk. Allah said it is the one sin He won't forgive if you die
while doing it. The Blessed Prophet Muhammad once mentioned also that a person who likes to
25
feel greatness in their heart was also committing a kind of Shirk. This is because all greatness is for
Allah and we should always try to be humble. The Prophet also said, "La Yad khulu al Jannah min
kana fee qal beehee mith qalu habbatin min kibr." "They won't enter Paradise, the one who has even
a little bit of the love of greatness in their heart."

Shaytan: (or Shaytan) It means Satan. (The literal meaning is to separate from.) Islam teaches that a
Jinn named Iblis didn't want to bow when Allah commanded a bunch of angels to bow down to
Adam in respect of his knowledge. Iblis thought he was better than both humans and angels. Allah
banished him to earth and let him have extended life until the Day of Judgment. That is because
Iblis challenged Allah and said if he had time he would corrupt all human beings. Iblis's name
literally means "Frustrated." He is also known as the Shaytan, or Satan.

Siyam (or Saum) Fasting.

Subhanullah: "Glory to Allah." This phrase is said whenever we're happy or when we see
something wonderful.

Sufi: This is the name for a group of Muslims who want to be super-spiritually oriented. Sufis tend
to try and be as close to the Sunnah as possible and they like to do group dhikr and chanting. While
most Sufis are okay Islamically, there are a few groups that go way out and are close to being
outside of Islam. Such far off groups sing, dance, twirl around, drink wine, deny Salat, etc... Most
Sufis you will encounter are of the okay kind. They are distinguished by their traditional Islamic
dress and turbans. The word Sufi comes from the term for wool cloth, which was a material early
Sufis liked to wear to emphasize how they didn't want to be captured by the love of fineries in this
world.

Sufis organize themselves into "orders" or groups, called Tariqas. These groups are headed by a
leader called a Shaykh who is considered the most spiritual man with the most Taqwa among them.
Some famous Sufi Tariqas that operate all over the world are the Naqshabandis and Qadiriyya. The
most famous Sufi Muslim scholars that ever lived are Jalaluddin Rumi, Muhammad al Ghazali and
Abdul Qadir Jilani.

Suhoof: "Scrolls." This is the name of the revelation given to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) about
4,000 years ago. It was lost.

Sunnah: The example or "way" of the Prophet. How he lived his life and what his practices were.

Sunni: This is the name of the largest sect or group of Muslims. This group amounts to about 85-
90% of all Muslims world-wide. Sunni's believe in the mission of the Prophet as he taught it and try
very hard to adhere to the Prophet's example with no changes. This doesn't mean that Sunni's are
somehow the only true Muslims, however, because the Prophet never taught that we should even
label ourselves Sunni's or Shi'as.

Sunni Islam is just closer to real Islam. The best thing for a Muslim to do is to drop all the labels and
just say, "I'm a Muslim." But there are many Muslims in the world who get emotional about
wanting to call themselves some kind of label besides the basic, "I'm a Muslim." Have patience with

26
them and do what is right. The term Sunni comes from the title, "Ahl as-Sunnah wal Jam'a" which
means, "People of the Example (of the Prophet) and the Main Group (of First Muslims)."

Surah: It is a chapter of the Qur'an. The word literally means "a step up in progression" or a "fence."

Tafseer: Commentary or explanation of the Qur'an. Many Qur'an translations will have footnotes
on the bottom of the page to help you understand the meaning of an ayah. That would be called
Tafseer.

Taqwa: This term means many things at once. The first meaning is that you are always aware that
Allah is watching you. This brings you to the second meaning and that is that you will try to be
good always. Do you see how the two things wrapped together can be so beautiful? When a
Muslim has Taqwa, we say they are "Aware of Allah" Conscious of Allah" and striving to be
righteous.

Tauhid: Sometimes it's spelled Tawhid. It means the Oneness of Allah. Allah has no partners, He is
not divided up into parts and He is not in need of anyone to help Him in anything whatsoever.

Taurah: The revelation given to Prophet Musa (Moses). The first five books of the old testament in
the Bible are said to be the "Torah" of Moses, but no serious Bible scholar, whether Jewish or
Christian believes that anymore. Musa's message was lost long ago. Just take a look, everything
about Prophet Moses in the Bible is written in third person: "And Moses said this," and "Moses
went there," Someone else wrote those things, certainly not Moses!

Ukhtee: My sister.

Wahy: This word means revelation or inspiration. When Allah was revealing His messages to the
Prophet, we would say the Prophet was receiving "Wahy." The Blessed Prophet once said that after
him, all Wahy from Allah was finished except for one thing: dreams that can come true.

Wudu: Washing for prayer.

Yowm ul Qiyamah: The Day of Judgment. (Literally: Day of Standing.)

Zabur: The revelation given to Prophet Dawud (David). The Psalms in the Bible are not the pure
Zabur. Christian scholars admit that at least half of the verses in Psalms were written by temple
priests, government workers, etc, in ancient Israel. And no one knows which half are from Prophet
Dawud and how many have been lost or altered.

Zakah: This is often translated as "Charity" or "Poor-due" but the literal meaning of the word is
actually, "Purifying." Zakah is the third pillar of Islam. It involves giving 2.5% of your yearly
wealth, after expenses, for the benefit of the poor and the needy. The "purifying" part comes in by
learning not to be greedy. If you give some of your money for the sake of Allah to the poor, you
make your heart less prone to greed.

27
 http://www.islamicedfoundation.com/guide1.htm

The Prerequisites of the Declaration of Faith

by Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo

This article appeared in two parts in AL-BASHEER magazine (Vol.7, !o.5 January-February, 1994).

Contents

• The Conditions of La ilaha illa-llah..........Part I

• The Conditions of La ilaha illa-llah.........Part II
• The Conditions of La ilaha illa-llah........Part III
• The Conditions of La ilaha illa-llah........Part IV

The Conditions of La ilaha illa-llah..........Part I

Every Muslim knows that the key to Paradise is the statement, "There is none worthy of worship
except Allah." Yet too many Muslims simply rely upon this statement and believe that as long as
they have made this statement, nothing will harm them. They think will be granted Paradise
because of this mere verbal statement of the Shahadah.

There is no question that the mere saying of," I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship
except Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger," is not sufficient
for salvation. In fact, the hypocrites used to make this statement quite often yet Allah describes
them as liars and says that they shall abide in the lowest abyss of the Hell-fire.

As many scholars state, though, this statement or testimony is the key to Paradise. The famous
Follower Wahb ibn Munabbih was once asked, "Isn't the statement of la ilaha illa-llah the key to
Paradise?" He answered, "Yes, but every key has ridges. If you come with the key that has the right ridges,
the door will open for you. Yet if you do not have the right ridges the door will not open for you." That is, it is
saying [while meeting] certain conditions. These conditions are what will differentiate the person
who will benefit from his making of that statement from the one who will not benefit from that
statement, no matter how many times a day he may have made that statements.

Before discussing the conditions of the Shahadah, there is one more point that I feel compelled to
make. That is, some people have a tendency to take one hadith or one verse and then based on that
one text, they will make some conclusion that, for example, whoever simply says, "There is no God
except Allah," will enter Paradise. But, actually, we should all realize that all of the Quran and
Hadith complement each other and explain one another. To find the correct position on any one
question, one must bring together all of the related verses and hadith and see what the true Islamic
position is of that question. The same is true for the conditions of the shahadah.
28
If we study the verses of the Quran and the Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), we will find
that the conditions of the shahadah are seven, eight or nine in number depending on how we look
at them. It is important that all of us make sure that we are meeting these conditions in our own
lives and in our own testimony of faith. We must do our best to satisfy these conditions before it is
too late and our testimony will be no avail whatsoever. It is not simply for the sake of teaching these
conditions. Indeed, there is no benefit to that. But it is, instead, for all of us to look to ourselves and
to make sure that we are actually meeting these conditions so that, by Allah's mercy, the doors to
Paradise will be open for us by our key of la ilaha illa-llah.

The Conditions of La ilaha illa-llah..........Part II

The first of these conditions is knowledge. That is , one must have the basic and general knowledge
of what is meant by the shahadah. One must understand what the shahadah is affirming and what
the shahadah is denying. Allah says in the Quran, "So know that there is no God save Allah, and
ask forgiveness for your sin" (Qur'an, Muhammad 19). Similarly, the Prophet (peace be upon him)
said, "Whoever dies knowing that there is no one worthy of worship except Allah shall enter
Paradise." (Recorded by Muslim.)

In fact, the shahadah itself is a testimony. When one testifies to something, one must know what it
is that he is testifying concerning. Obviously, a testimony about something that one does not have
any knowledge about is absolutely unacceptable. Allah says in the Quran, "Save him who bears
witness unto the truth knowingly" (Qur'an, al-Zukhruf 86).

Now this condition probably sounds obvious. If someone said to you, "There is no God except
Allah," and then said that what he meant by Allah was Jesus, you would immediately tell him that
this shahadah is nonsense. Yet can you imagine that there is a Muslim country in the world that
until recently used to have a yearly week-long celebration to "the Gods of the Sea"! All along they call
themselves Muslims and they make shahadah numerous times a day. This clearly shows that they
have no idea what the meaning of their shahadah is. Do you think that this kind of shahadah will
open the doors to Paradise for them?

Today, there are many Muslims who wonder why we should not accept secularism. They think that
there is nothing wrong with secularism! Many of these Muslims pray five times a day and utter the
shahadah repeatedly. Yet they see nothing wrong with accepting a Lawgiver other than Allah?
What kind of shahadah are these people making?

All of us do our best to learn at least the basics of Islamic beliefs. The basics of what shahadah
means. In this way, Allah willing, we will be making the correct shahadah. We will be witnessing to
the truth as we are supposed to be witnesses to it.

The second condition of the shahadah is certainty (or al-yaqeen). This is the opposite of doubt and
uncertainty. In Islam, in fact, any kind of doubt is equivalent to Kufr or disbelief. We must, in our
hearts, be absolutely certain of the truth of the shahadah. Our hearts must not be wavering in any
way when we testify to the truth of, "There is none worthy of worship except Allah."

29
Allah describes the believers in the Quran as those who have belief in Allah and then their hearts
waver not. Allah says, "The (true) believers are those only who believe in Allah and His
messenger and afterward doubt not, but strive with their wealth and their lives for the cause of
Allah. Such are the sincere" (Qur'an, al-Hujurat 15). Similarly, the Messenger of Allah (peace be
upon him) said, "No one meets Allah with the testimony that there is none worthy of worship
but Allah and I am the Messenger of Allah, and he has no doubt about hat statement, except that
he will enter Paradise." (Recorded by Muslim.)

Indeed, Allah describes the hypocrites as those people whose hearts are wavering. For example,
Allah says, "They alone seek leave of thee (not to participate in jihad) who believe not in Allah
and the Last Day and whose hearts feel doubt, so in their doubt they waver" (Qur'an, al-Tauba
45).

Many scholars have stated that the diseases of the heart, or the doubt and suspicions that one
allows into one's heart, are more dangerous for a person's faith than lusts and desires. This is
because lusts and desires may be satisfied at some time yet the person still knows them to be wrong
and he may control himself and repent and give up that evil deed. On the other hand, the doubts
and suspicions may linger in the heart, with no cure, until the person finally leaves Islam entirely or
continues to practice Islam while, in fact, in his heart he does not have the true faith.

The greatest cure for these doubts is seeking knowledge. It is through sound knowledge of the
Quran and the sunnah that most of these doubts will be removed. By study and understanding, one
will attain certainty. And as one studies and learns more, his certainty will be made firmer and
firmer.

I will give you just one example on this point. This is related to all of the doubts, suspicions and
misconceptions that are circulating about the authenticity of the hadith literature. For example,
some Muslims even claim that hadith were not recorded until at least 200 years after the death of
the Prophet (peace be upon him). Indeed, there are Muslims who seem to have a great deal of doubt
about hadith and are very quick to reject hadith on that basis. But, in fact, if one actually takes the
time to study the history and preservation of hadith, one will immediately recognize that all those
claims and charges against the hadith are not based on anything scientific whatsoever. They are
nothing but false claims that come from Satan and which Muslims with poor understanding and
knowledge have allowed to creep into their hearts.

Let me make one last point about this condition of certainty. As I alluded to earlier, doubts and
misconceptions are very dangerous for a person's faith. Doubt and wavering are tantamount to
apostasy in Islam, as I mentioned earlier. Hence, every Muslim should do best to safeguard himself
from such doubts and remain away from the sources of doubts- especially if they are not well
grounded in the Islamic sciences and do not have the the knowledge to refute such doubts and
misconceptions. Hence if a person has an associate or friend, even if he be a Muslim friend, who is
always making him doubt Allah or the religion, then he should remain away from that person in
order to safeguard his own religion. Many Muslims nowadays study courses on Islam taught by
Orientalists and because of their weak backgrounds in Islamic studies, they are influenced by the
nonsense that some of these Orientalists are teaching in the name of "science".

30
Similarly, many brothers and sisters nowadays are spending hours at a time with the computer
news groups and bulletin boards. A lot of nonsense and falsehood are posted on those news groups
and bulletin boards. Again, the one who is not very knowledgeable of his religion may easily be
influenced and affected by the misconceptions and false arguments that he reads in those bulletin
boards. He should remain away from those things and get a deeper knowledge of Islam through
the authentic sources of the religion.

Again, the greatest counterforce that can defeat doubts and misconceptions, after the bounty and
guidance of Allah, is sound knowledge and understanding of the religion. When a person has that,
he will not be affected by the weak arguments put out by the enemies of Islam and he will be, Allah
willing, from among those described in the Quran, " It is only those who have knowledge among
His slaves that fear Allah" (Qur'an, Fatir 28)

The Conditions of La ilaha illa-llah..........Part III

The third condition of the shahadah is acceptance (or al-qabool). If a person has the knowledge of
and certainty in the shahadah, this must be followed by acceptance, with the tongue and heart, of
whatever that shahadah implies. Whoever refuses to accept the shahadah and its implications, even
if he knows that it is true and certain about its truth, is a disbeliever. This refusal to accept is
sometimes due to pride, envy or other reasons. In any case, the shahadah is not a true shahadah
without its unconditional acceptance.

The scholars all talk about this condition as a general condition in the way that I have just stated.
However, there is also a more detailed aspect that we must all be aware of. The believer accepts
whatever the implications of the shahadah are. This also means that he believes in whatever is
stated in the Quran or stated by the Prophet (peace be upon him), without any right to choose what
he wants to believe and what he wants to reject. Allah says in the Quran, "Do you believe in part of
the book and reject part of it? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the
life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous
doom" (Qur'an, al-Baqara 85).

This is one aspect that the Muslims must be aware of. Although it is not the same as the complete
refusal to accept the truth, by rejecting part of the truth that has come from Allah, one also negates
his testimony of faith.

Unfortunately, many Muslims are doing this nowadays in various ways. Although not all of these
forms may necessarily be considered apostasy, they are still very dangerous. For example, if they
do not like what is stated in a verse in the Quran, they simply reinterpret the verse according to
their liking. If they do not like what is stated in a hadith, they simply state that the hadith must not
be authentic although they are not scholars in that area. This kind of behavior is the antithesis of the
behavior of the true Muslims. Whatever comes from Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him),
the true Muslim believes in as the truth. This goes hand in hand with their testimony of faith.

The fourth condition of shahadah is submission and compliance (or al-inqiyad). This implies the
actual physical enactment with our deeds of our shahadah. In fact, this is one of the main meanings

31
of the word Islam itself, "the submission to the will and commands of Allah. " This is what Allah
commands in the Quran, "Turn unto Him repentant, and surrender unto Him" (Qur'an, al-Zumar
54).

Allah has praised those who submit to His command by their actions. Allah says, "Who is better in
religion than he who surrenders his purpose to Allah while doing good" (Qur'an, al-Nisa 125).

Actually, Allah has clearly made it a condition of faith that one submits to the command of Allah
and His messenger. Allah says, "But nay, by your Lord, they will not truly believe until they
make you [the Messenger of Allah] judge of what is in dispute between them and find within
themselves no dislike of which you decide, and submit with full submission" (Qur'an, al-Nisa
65)

Unfortunately, there are many claim that there is no relationship between faith and deeds. You can
even hear one Muslim saying about another, "That is the best Muslim I have ever met." Yet the other
person performs scarcely any of the deeds of Islam whatsoever. This incorrect understanding of
faith has spread throughout the Muslim world.

Indeed, our shahadah or testimony of faith must be implemented in our hearts, tongues and
actions. In our hearts, we must have love for Allah, fear Allah and hope in Him. With our tongues
we must testify to the shahadah. And with our actions, we must implement what the testimony of
faith requires from us. Anyone who claims to be a Muslim and yet does no deeds, either does not
understand Islam whatsoever or is bearing testimony against himself that his testimony of faith is
not a true and correct testimony of faith.

This does not mean that the true believer never commits a sin. Indeed, true believers do commit
sins. But as long as they recognize that what they did is not correct and it is inconsistent with their
obligation of submitting to Allah, then they [have not destroyed] their testimony or shahadah. But,
do not forget, they are still sinners.

And what is the minimum of submission that is required from a person beyond which there can be
no claim to faith? For those scholars who say that the abandonment of prayers is infidelity, it is the
five daily prayers. Whoever does not perform, at least, the five daily prayers has gone beyond the
limit that is acceptable for lack of deeds. Allah knows best.

The fifth condition is truthfulness, as opposed to hypocrisy and dishonesty. This means that when
we say the shahadah, we are saying it honestly. We actually mean it. We are not lying when it
comes to our testimony of faith.

The Prophet (peace be upon his) said, "No one bears testimony to there being no one worth of
worship save Allah, sincerely from his heart, except that Allah makes the Hell-fire forbidden for
him." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

We are all familiar with those who say the testimony of faith yet they are not saying it honestly.
They do not believe in it but they are simply saying it in order to protect themselves or to get some
gain from doing so. These are the hypocrites. Allah has described them in the opening of the Quran

32
with the following words, "And of mankind are some who say, 'We believe in Allah and the Last
Day,' when they believe not. They think to beguile Allah and those who believe, and they
beguile none save themselves, but they perceive not. In their hearts is a disease, and Allah
increases their disease. A painful doom is theirs because they lie" (Qur'an, al-baqara 8-10).

Obviously, the shahadah of those who become Muslims simply to benefit from being Muslim and
not because they believe in Islam will be rejected by Allah in the Hereafter. They will face a painful
punishment due to their lying.

The sixth condition is sincerity (or ikhlas). That is, when we make the shahadah, we must do so
solely for the sake of Allah. We must not do it for any other reason. And we must not do it for
anyone else's sake. In this manner, the meaning of sincerity is opposite of Shirk or ascribing
partners with Allah. We become and remain Muslims solely for Allah's sake. Allah says in the
Quran, "Worship Allah, making religion pure for him" (Qur'an, al-Zumar 2). And Allah also says,
"And they are ordained nothing else than to serve Allah, keeping religion pure for Him, as men
by nature upright and to establish worship and to pay the poor-due. That is true religion"
(Qur'an, al-Bayyinah 5). And the Prophet (peace be upon him) added, "Allah has forbidden for the
Hell-fire anyone who says, 'There is no one worthy of worship except Allah,' and say so desiring
the face [and pleasure] of Allah." (Recorded by Muslim).

This is something that we should think about. But especially those of us who grew up in Muslim
families and were born Muslim. We should make it very clear to ourselves that we are Muslims
only for the sake of Allah. We are not Muslims for the sake of our parents, friends, family or
community. It must be clear in our minds that we are Muslims for the sake of Allah first, last and
only.

One of the signs that we are Muslims for the sake of Allah is that we do whatever Allah asks of us,
regardless of what anybody else desires or wants from us. That is, in the same way that we are
Muslims solely for the sake of Allah, all of our actions are done for the sake of Allah.

However, sometimes one begins to wonder whether this condition is met by some people. Some
people from the Muslim world practice Islam to the extent that it is pleasing to their families. If
there is anything in Islam that their families do not like- although their families are Muslim and
therefore they actually should like all of Islam- then they do not practice that aspect of Islam. One
common example of that nature is mixing between men and women. Sometimes a brother, here in
the U.S., will not mix with women and his wife will remain separate from the men. Yet, when they
return to their homes, because this is not pleasing to their families who want to mix between men
and women, they easily, simply and happily compromise their religion for the sake of their parents.
These people must sincerely ask themselves why they are Muslims. Are they Muslims for the sake
of their parents and therefore whatever their parents like they will do and whatever their parents
do not like they won't do? Or are they Muslims for the sake of Allah and therefore whatever Allah
dislike they will not do and whatever Allah is pleased with they do?

33
The Conditions of La ilaha illa-llah..........Part IV
The seventh condition is love. That is, the believer loves this shahadah, he loves in accordance with
the shahadah, he loves the implications and requirements of the shahadah and he loves those who
act and strive for the sake of this shahadah. This is a necessary condition of the shahadah. If a
person makes the shahadah but does not love the shahadah and what it stands for, then, in fact, his
faith is not complete. It is not the faith of a true believer. And if he loves something more than this
shahadah or if he loves something more than Allah, then he has negated his shahadah. The true
believer, the one meeting the conditions of the shahadah puts no one whatsoever as an equal to
Allah in his love.

Allah says in the Quran, "Yet of mankind are some who take unto themselves (objects of worship
which they set as) rivals to Allah, loving them with a love like (that which is due to) Allah only.
However, those who believe are stauncher in their love of Allah" (Qur'an, al-Baqara 165). And
elsewhere Allah says' "Say: If your fathers, or your sons, or your brethren, or your wives, or your
tribe, or the wealth you have acquired, or merchandise for which you fear that there will be no
sale, or dwellings you desire are dearer to you than Allah and His messenger and striving in His
way: then wait till Allah brings His command to pass. Allah guides not wrongdoing folk"
(Qur'an, al-Tauba 24). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Whoever has three characteristics
has tasted the sweetness of faith. [The first of these] is that he loves Allah and His Messenger
more than he loves anyone else..." (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.).

This is one of the most important aspects of Islam yet, for some reason, it is missing from the lives
of many Muslims. They act in Islam as if Islam were a chore instead of doing things out of the love
of Allah. When Allah orders us to do something, like bear witness to the faith, we should realize
that that thing is pleasing to Allah and, therefore, out of our love for Allah, we should be very
pleased to do the acts that are pleasing to Allah. But, as I said, this feeling is missing from many,
many Muslims today.

The eighth condition of the shahadah is that the person who makes the shahadah must deny every
other object of worship. Although that is clear in the words of the testimony of faith, it does not
seem clear to everyone who makes that testimony. Therefore, I am mentioning it explicitly here.

In Surah al-Baqara, Allah clearly reminds us of this important aspect of the shahadah, the shahadah
is not merely an affirmation but it is both and affirmation and a negation. Allah states, "And he
who rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped a firm handhold which will never
break" (Qur'an, al-Baqara 256). Perhaps the Prophet (peace be upon him) made this point even
clearer when he said, "Whoever says there is no one worthy of worship except Allah and denies
whatever is worshipped besides Allah, then his wealth and blood are protected and his
accounting will be with Allah." (Recorded by Muslim.)

Although this condition should be obvious to everyone who says the words of shahadah, you can
still find Muslims who say the shahadah and then make acts of worship for beings or things other
than Allah. You will find them going to the graveyards and worshipping those in the graves. They
will perform acts of worship, not for the sake of Allah, but for the sake of the dead "saints" in the
grave. What kind of shahadah have these people made? Do you really think that their shahadah
34
will mean anything on the Day of Judgment as long as they believe that acts of worship may be
done for other than Allah?

The ninth condition of the shahadah is that the Muslim adheres to the shahadah until he dies. This
is must if the shahadah is to mean anything for you in the Hereafter. You can not rest on your
laurels of what you may have done in the past. No, indeed, the shahadah must be your banner until
your death. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, " A man spends a long time doing the deeds of
the people of Paradise and then he ends his deeds with the deeds of the people of the Hell-fire.
And a man spends a long time doing the deeds of the people of the Hell-fire and then he ends
his deeds with the deeds of the people of Paradise." (Recorded by Muslim) In another hadith, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "By the One whom there is no other God, one of you does the
actions of Paradise until there is just a handspan between him and Paradise and then the book
[preordainment] overtakes him and he does the actions of the people of Hell and he enters into
it" (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

And Allah says in the Quran, "O believers, observe your duty to Allah with right observance, and
die not save as Muslims [surrendering yourselves to Allah]" (Qur'an, ali-Imran 102).

Dear brothers and sisters, these are the conditions of the shahadah. These are the aspects of the
shahadah that each and every one of us should look to in ourselves and ask ourselves, "Is my
shahadah meeting those requirements? Am I saying it sincerely, honestly and out of love for Allah? Am I
saying it based on what it really means? Am I denying all other false objects of worship?..."

These questions we should ask ourselves now before we meet Allah. Allah willing, we shall ask
ourselves these questions now and we shall find that we have all the right answers for them. Or, if
we find we have some deficiency, we shall work to remove that deficiency. Such that, by Allah's
mercy, in the Hereafter, our shahadah will be the key to Paradise for us and the gates of Paradise
will swing wide open for us and we will be able to live forever in the bounties of Paradise, with
Allah being pleased with us.

Again, it is not simply a matter of knowing these conditions. Indeed,one can meet many Muslims
who have these conditions memorized, yet when one looks to their deeds and behavior, one can see
that these conditions have no effect on them. This means, in fact, no matter how well he knows and
can rattle off these conditions, he, in fact, is not fulfilling them. In the Hereafter, his knowledge of
these conditions will be of no avail to him. Indeed, his knowledge will be a proof against him as he
clearly knows what the conditions are that he must satisfy yet he has shown that he is not willing to
satisfy them in his life.

35
 Prayer - Salaat - Namaaz
Introduction
“Verily
Verily Salat prevents one from shameful and forbidden things; and the remembrance of Allah is the
greatest”
greatest (QURAN 29:45)
“Salat
Salat is the best of all that has been ordained by Allah”
Allah (HOLY PROPHET P.B.U.H)

Salat is the second most important pillar of Islam after Iman. Salat is the essence of all Islamic practices and
deeds. The Holy Qur’an has stressed the importance of it numerous amounts of times. If the Salat is offered
with full regard to all the inward and outward requirements including a sincere heart, proper devotion
and mental concentration the benefits are innumerable.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “That That which
Salat.” “He
separates a believer from infidelity is simply the Salat He has no share in Islam who does not offer Salat”
Salat
What a great act of virtue and piety to offer Salat regularly and how catastrophic it is to abandon it. The
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stated in the following hadeeth which brilliantly
summarizes how the Salat is essential to the Muslim: “Whoever
Whoever will offer the Salat
Salat properly and regularly it
will be for him on the Last Day a source of light, a proof of his faith and a means to salvation. (On the other
hand) Whoever will not offer it carefully and regularly it will be for him neither a source of light, nor a
proof of faith, nor a means of salvation and the end of such a person will be with Qarun, Fir’aun, Haman
and Ubai-
Ubai-bin-
bin-Khalaf.”
Khalaf

The Holy Qur'an states “The

The day that the sin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in
adoration, but they shall not be able, their eyes shall be cast down – ignominy will cover them, seeing that
they had been summoned aforetime to bow in adoration while they were hale and healthy (and had
refused). (67:42) According to the above Qur’anic verse mankind will be summoned to bow down in
adoration before Allah (swt) on the Last Day.

Only the fortunate ones, who had during their lifetime made it a practice to be regular in their Salat, will
find no difficulty in bowing down. Those who in spite of being healthy and strong, had not prayed in this
world, will discover that their backs had suddenly grown stiff which means they will remain standing with
the infidels unable to prostrate before their Lord and Creator. Such will be the humiliation and disgrace for
the defaulters of Salat! May Allah (swt) save us from such humiliation! Ameen “Successful
Successful indeed are the
believers who are humble in their Salat” (23:1-
(23:1-2)
Requirements of Salaat
1. Cleanliness and Purity

The Qur’an states: “O Believers, when you rise to offer Salat, you must wash your faces and hands
and arms up to the elbows and wipe your heads with wet hands and wash your feet up to the ankles;
and if you have become unclean, cleanse yourselves with a full bath”. (Surah 5: V 6)

2. Punctuality

The Qur’an states: “Indeed Salat is a prescribed duty that has to be performed at the appointed times
by the Believers.” (Surah 4: V103)

36
3. Regularity

The Qur’an states about the true Believers are those: “who are regular in their Prayers”. (70: 23)

4. Lining up for Prayers in a congregation

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stated “O People! Keep your rows
straight and balanced, otherwise Allah might turn your hearts one against the other”. (Muslim)

On another occasion he (Peace and blessings be upon him) stated “Keep your rows straight in the
Prayer, because proper balancing and alignment of the rows is a necessary condition of establishing
the Prayer”.

According to Hadrat Abu Mas’ud, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pass
his hand over the shoulders of the people and would tell them to get aligned lest as a consequence of
crooked and irregular rows their hearts be turned one against the other. Then he would urge those
of them who possessed knowledge and insight to stand close behind him, then those who were next
to them, then those who were next to them. (Muslim)

5. Peace and Tranquility

The Qur’an states: “Pray neither with too loud a voice nor with too low, but follow a middle
way between these two”. (17: 110)

Hadrat Abu Hurairah says that the Holy Prophet was present in the mosque in a corner when a
man entered and offered the Prayer. He then came towards the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him) and greeted him. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) responded to
him and asked him to go back once again and repeat his Prayer. The man repeated his prayer once
again and repeated his Prayer. The man repeated his Prayer for the third time and then requested:
“O Messenger of Allah! Teach me the right way of performing the Prayer”. The Holy Prophet said:
“When you intend to observe the Prayer, first perform Wudu well; then face the Qiblah and begin
the Prayer with Takbir (Allah o Akbar) then recite Al Fatihah and after it some easy passage; then
bend down in Ruku’ and observe it with perfect peace; then stand up erect; then go down in Sajdah
and observe it with perfect peace; then rise from Sajdah and sit upright, and then complete your
Prayer in the same manner with perfect calmness and tranquillity”. (Bukhari and Muslim)

6. Establishing Congregational Prayer

The Qur’an states: “… and bend down in Ruku with those who bend down in Ruku”. (2: V43)

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has said: “The person who hears the Call of
the Mu’azzin to congregational Prayer, and there is no genuine reason to prevent him from
rushing to the mosque, and yet he offers his Prayer alone, his Prayer will not be accepted by
Allah. When the people asked what he meant by ‘genuine reason’ he said: ‘ a danger to life or
property or serious illness”. (Abu Dawud)

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) stated “A person who attends
congregational Prayers for 40 days regularly, right from the first Takbir to the end, is

37
 granted a two fold immunity; immunity from the fire of Hell and immunity against hypocrisy”.
(Tirmidhi)

7. Distinctive and Clarity of Recital

The Qur’an says : “Recite the Qur’an leisurely”. (73: V 4) “The Book that We have sent down to
you is blessed that people may ponder over its verses, and the thoughtful ones may learn
lessons”. (38: V 29)

8. Zeal and Dedication during Prayer

The ideal Prayer is that which one places all one’s whole attention of the heart and mind and turns
towards Allah. Also when one is finished with one prayer one is keenly looking forward to observing
the next Prayer.

The Qur’an states: “…. You should keep aright your direction during every act of worship and
invoke Him alone, dedicating your faith sincerely and exclusively to Him”. (7: V 29)

“O Believers, when you hear the Call to the Friday Prayer, hasten to the remembrance of
Allah and leave your trading”. (62: V9)

9. Humility and Submission

“Take great care of your Prayers, especially of a Prayer that has excellent qualities of Salat,
and stand before Allah like devoted servants”. (2: v 238)

“And (O Prophet), give good news to those who adopt an attitude of humility and submission,
whose hearts tremble when they hear Allah being mentioned, and who show fortitude in
affliction and establish Prayer”. (22: V 35)

“O Prophet, remember your Lord morning and evening, deep in your heart with humility and
with fear, and also in a low voice with your tongue: do not be of those who are heedless”. (7:
205)

10. Devotion and Humbleness

"Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their Prayers and who shun what is
vain". (23: V1 - 3)

11. Feeling of Divine Presence

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessing be upon him) has said: "Man is nearest to his God when he
prostrates himself before Him". (Muslim) One should observe the Prayer with the feeling that one
is seeing Allah or at least have the feeling that Allah is watching him. The Qur'an says: "Fall
prostrate and seek nearness (to Allah) (96: v19)

12. Remembrance of Allah

The Qur'an states: .. ".. And establish Prayer for My remembrance". (20: V 14) "Indeed only

38
 those people believe in Our revelations, who when reminded of them, fall prostrate, and
glorify their Lord, and avoid vanity". (32: V 15) Thus performing their Ruku and Sajdah with full
consciousness and utter words of Allah's praise and adoration with perfect understanding and
awareness of the fact that they are standing in Prayer for the remembrance of Allah.

13. Avoiding Display

"Doomed are the praying ones who are unmindful of their Prayers and act only to be seen by
others". (107: V 4) The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said "The one who prayed
with the intention of being seen by others committed shirk". (Musnad Ahmad)

14. Complete Resignation to the Will of Allah (swt)

"My Salat and my rites of worship and my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the
universe, Who has no partner with Him. This is what I have been enjoined, and I am the first
to surrender to Him". (6:V 163)

The Time of Salaat

1. The Time of Fajr Prayer Approximately 11/2 hours before sunrise a dim whitish glow appears vertically
in the eastern horizon. This is the break of dawn. The time for Fajr Salat lasts until sunrise.
2. The Time for Zuhr Salaat The time for Zuhr Salat begins immediately after Zawaal or mid-day. The
time of mid-day or Zawaal is calculated by dividing the hours of daylight by two, and adding the result to
the time of sunrise.
3. The Time for Asr Salaat Asr time begins immediately upon the expiry of Zuhr time, and lasts until
sunset. However, it is Makrooh (reprehensible) to delay the performance of Asr Salat until the sun’s ray
become yellowish and dim as is the case before sunset.
4. The Time for Maghrib Salaat Immediately after sunset the time for Maghrib Salat commences, and it
lasts until the disappearance of the twilight. It is better to offer it as soon as the time for Maghrib Salat
has started.
5. The Time for Isha Salaat The time for Isha Salat begins immediately after expiry of the time of
Maghrib, i.e. immediately after the white glow of twilight disappears. Isha time lasts until Fajr Awwal or
Subh sadiq (True Dawn). The moment Fajr Awwal enters, Isha time expires.
6. The Time for Witr Salaat This Witr Prayer may be offered immediately after the Isha Prayer; but
those people who have formed the habit of rising during the later part of the night may pray Witr any
time before dawn.

Rak’ahs of prayers
A Rak’ah is a unit of the prayer, which may be Fard (obligatory), Sunnat (compulsory and voluntary),
Witr (compulsory), or Nafl (Voluntary)
Fajr Zuhr Asr Maghrib Isha 2 Sunnat 4 Sunnat 4 Sunnat (vol.) 3 Fard 4 Sunnat (vol.) 2 Fard 4 Fard 4
Fard 2 Sunnat
4 Fard 2 Sunnat 2 Nafl 2 Sunnat 2 Nafl 2 Nafl 3 Witr 2 Nafl

*****************
Reference
Everyday Fiqh, Vol. I, Muhammad Yusuf Islahi http://www.islamchannel.tv/Prayer.aspx

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 ETIQUETTES OF FRIDAY
Friday is an important day of the Believers. Many important events which become the turning points in the
history of Islam had taken place on this auspicious day. Prophet Adam (peace be on him) was created on
Friday, the verse declaring perfection of Islam was revealed on this day; and the Day of Resurrection shall
occur on Friday. Hence this auspicious day should be observed with sanctity and solemnity, with maximum
Divine service.

Allah, the Almighty affirms

" O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday ( the Day of Assembly), hasten
earnestly to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business ( and traffic): that is best for you if ye but
knew!" (al-jumu'a 2-)

Friday, is primarily the Day of assembly, the weekly meeting of the Congregation, when we show our unity
by sharing in common public worship, preceded by a 'khutba' in the which the Imam ( or Leader) reviews the
week's life of the community and offers advice and exhortation on good living. Notice the gradations of social
contact for Muslims if they followed the wise ordinances of their Faith.

1. Each individual remembers Allah for himself or herself five or more times everyday in the home or place
of business, or local mosque, or open air, as the case may be.

2. On Friday in every week there is a local meeting in the central mosque of each local centre, it may be a
village, a town, or ward of a big city,

3. At the two 'Ids every year, there is a large local area meeting in on center.

4. Once at least in a lifetime. where possible, a Muslim shares in the vast international assemblage of the
world, in the center of Islam, at the Makkan Pilgrimage. A happy combination of decentralisation and
centralisation, of individual liberty and collective meeting, and contact at various stages or grades. The
mechanical part of this ordinance is easy to carry out. Are we carrying out more difficult part?--- the spirit
of unity, brotherhood, mutual consultation, and collective understanding and action?

The idea behind the Muslim weekly "Day of Assembly" is different from that behind the Jewish Sabbath
(Saturday) or the Christian Sunday. The Jewish Sabbath is primarily a commemoration of Allah's ending His
work and resting on the seventh day: we are taught that Allah needs no rest, nor does He feel fatigue.

The Jewish command forbids work on that day but says nothing about worship or prayer; our ordinance
lays chief stress on the remembrance of Allah.

But the Christian Church, although it has changed the day from Saturday to Sunday has inherited the
Jewish spirit. Our teaching says: When the time for Jumu'a prayer comes, close your business and answer the
summons loyally and earnestly, pray, consult and learn by social contact; when the meeting is over, scatter
and go about your business!

In Islam, prosperity is not to be measured by wealth or worldly gains. There is a higher prosperity,-- the
health of the mind and the spirit. Hence one should not be distracted by craze for amusement or gain. If you
lead a righteous or sober life, Allah will provide for you in all senses, better than any provision you can possibly
think of.

Abu Hurairah ( Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) said:

"The most important day that ever dawned is Friday. It was on this day that Adam (peace be upon him)
was created and on this day he was admitted to paradise and it was on Friday when he was expelled from
there (and was appointed vicegerent of Allah ) and it is on this day that the Doom shall occur." (Muslim)

Abu Sa'eed Khudri ( Allah be pleased with him) reports that reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) observed:

40
 "The are five acts which, if performed on a single day, shall mark a man for the paradise. These are:

a. To enquire after the health of the sick.

b. To join a funeral.

c. To observe a fast.

d. To offer Friday prayer.

e. To set a slave free. (Ibn Hibban)

That "Single day" can be only a "Friday" when all the righteous acts. including that of 'Friday prayer" may
be performed.

Abu Sa'eed Khudri ( Allah be pleased with him) reports that reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) observed:

"One who recites Surah Kahf ( The Cave) on Friday, will have radiant light glowing for him between the two
Fridays."

Abu Hurairah ( Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) observed:

"Seventy thousand angles ask for the forgiveness of the person who recites Surah Dukhan ( Smoke) on
Friday night and he gets all his sins pardoned." (Tirmidhi)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:

"There is an auspicious moment on Friday during which and supplication addressed to Allah is graced with
Divine acceptance." (Bukhari)

There is, however, difference of opinion among the Islamic scholars regarding that 'auspicious moment.' A
section of scholars are of the opinion that the 'moment' falls between the duration the 'Khutbah' (address) till
the end of the prayer; whereas some others believe that the 'auspicious moment' lies at the end of Friday when
the sun is about to set. It is, there fore, advisable to keep most of the time in prayer, supplication, reciting the
Holy Qur'an and remembering Allah, the Almighty. It is better to include the following supplication among the
supplications offered on Friday:

"O 'Allah! You are my Lord. There is no god except you. I ma your servant and I hold firm to my promise
and allegiance to you as far as lies in my command. I acknowledge all the bounties and favours that You have
conferred on me. I confess my sin; forgive me, for there is non one else except You Who has the power to
grand pardon for sins and I beseech protection against the evil effects of my own sins." (Bukhari, Nasi'i)

The Friday Prayers are obligatory upon every male adult having normal health and sensinility and not in
journey. Wherever there be three persons, Friday prayer must be offered. In such a case, one of them will lead
the Friday prayer followed by other two.

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:

"People should not neglect Friday Prayers under any circumstances, otherwise their hearts will be sealed,
(the will be deprived of Divine Guidance); they will become one with those who are forgetful (of Religion)."
(Muslims)

ON CLEANING AND PURIFYING ON FRIDAYS

One should take extra care to clean and purify oneself for saying Friday prayers. Islam lays too much
emphasis on bathing and adoring oneself for the day which is full of blessing and auspiciousness.

Abu Sa'eed ( Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) observed:

" It is binding upon every one who has attained maturity that he should take a bath on Friday. He should
use tooth-stick (Mas'swak) and perfume if it is available." (Bukhari)

Abdullah bin 'Umar (Allah be please with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said:

41
 "The person who comes to offer prayers in the Friday congregation should bathe himself first." (Bukhari,
Muslims)

Salman (Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said:

" An individual who bathes on Fridays, performs ablution, oils, and scents himself, then goes to the mosque
in the noon, without disturbing two persons already sitting in the line, offer the prescribed prayer, and listens
to the 'Khutbah' (sermons of the Khatib) attentively, shall have all the sins pardoned, he my have committed
during this Friday and the pervious me." (Bukhri)

ON REACHING THE MOSQUE EARLY AS POSSIBLE

On should hasten towards the mosque as soon as her hears the call for Friday Prayer. On should close
one's business and stop other worldly activities and other engagements then and there.

Allah, the Almighty enjoins:

" O ye who believe! When the call is proclaimed to prayer on Friday ( the Day of Assembly), hasten
earnestly to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off business ( and traffic): that is best for you if ye but
knew!" (al-jumu'a 2-)

Thus a Believer should know beyond about that he is not for amassing wealth and material comforts by
doing more and more business even at the cost of remembering Allah. Hence he must not be engrossed in
worldly business headlong even after hearing call for Friday prayers. He should bear in mind that the essence
of life is the remembrance of Allah.

In short, one should reach the mosque for offering the Friday Prayer as soon as possible for him and try to
get a seat in the front line.

Abu Hurairah ( Allah be pleased with him) reports the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) said:

"One who has bathed on Friday and cleansed himself of all impurities by washing his whole body
thoroughly with water, and reached the mosque at the earliest time, is like one who has sacrificed a camel. He,
who reaches next, is like one who has sacrificed a cow, and the one who reaches in the third place is like a
person who offers the sacrifice of a horned ram. Coming nest to him like a person who gives away as it were,
one egg in the way of Allah. Later when the Imam gets up to deliver the sermon, the angels leave the gate of
the mosque and come over to sit in the mosque to hear the sermon and say the prayers." (Bukhari, Muslim)

Arbad bin Saria (Allah be pleased with him) reports:

" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to invoke Mercy of Allah three
times upon those who formed the first line and only once upon those who were in the second line. ( Ibn Majah,
Nasa,i)

Abu Hurairah ( Allah be pleased with him) observes:

" The people do not know the high degree of reward and blessings reserved for the people who from the
first line of prayer. If they know it, they would start drawing lost for the priviledge of joining the first lone."
(Bukhari, Muslim)

Abdullah bin Abbas ( Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) observed:

"The person who retreats from the first line of prayer and stands in the second line with the intention that
his Muslim brother my suffer no inconvenience, Allah will grant such a man reward and blessing as much as to
people in the first line." (Tabrani)

It is undesirable to go to the mosque at the nick of time when the prayer is going to be performed. You
have been prohibited from overstepping the necks of men and sitting with legs joined to the belly. You should
go to the mosque and sit in a reverential posture without making separation between any two, 'In other words
you should not make room for you forcibly.

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 ON DELIVERING KHUTBAH (SERMON)
The 'Khutbah' should be heard attentively with concentration of mind and in a receptive attitude. The
person delivering the sermon lays emphasis on worshipping Allah, the Almighty, alone and refrain from evil
acts. But, to make the sermon effective and receptive, the 'khutbah' should be brief and to the point raised
therein. Hence 'khutbah' must not be longer than the prayer (salat).

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has observed:

" Long prayer and a short 'khutbah' bear witness to the wisdom of the khatib ( the person delivering
khutbah). Thus you should offer long prayer and deliver a short khutbah." (Muslim)

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has ovserved:

" The men who bathes and comes to offer Friday prayer and say the prayer which Allah has destined for
him and then sits quietly and listens to the sermon in rapt attention and with perfect devotion till the preacher
has finished the sermon and afterward says obligatory prayer with the Imam, Allah shall pardon all his sins
which he committed during the period between that Friday and the preceding one and his sins even committed
during three days before it." (Muslim)
http://anwary-islam.com/life/friday.htm

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 NEW MUSLIM FAQ’s
1) Do I have to change my name?
2) How do I perform wudu (ablution)?
3) How does a Muslim stay physically pure?
4) Why Do I Have to Pray in Arabic?
5) What is Sunnah?
6) What is Hadith?

Do I Have To Change My (ame?

Some new Muslims, consider the matter of changing their name a mark in their lives between one stage (before Islam) and another
(after Islam). This is something that is totally according to the individual.

Muslims should have good names and give good names to their children. Islam does not require all converts to change their names.
New Muslims should only change their first names, if they contain wrong or bad meanings. As far as their last names are concerned
they should not be changed unless their parents are alive and accept the change. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
said, "You will be called on the Day of Resurrection by your names and the names of your fathers, so have good names."

The Prophet Peace be upon him changed some other names that showed contradiction with Islam or had a dispraised meaning. Here
are some examples:

1) A name that has the meaning of one's being a slave to another: 'Abd al-Rasul (the slave of the Messenger) and 'Abd al-Nabi (the
slave of the Prophet).

2) A name that has one of the Divine attributes of Allah or His Names: al-Raheem (The Merciful), al-'Aleem (The Knower).

3) A name with a dispraised meaning: Jamra (firebrand), Harb (war) …

4) A name shows coquetry and bad behavior.

5) A name that has self-praise: For example the Prophet Peace be upon him changed the name Barra(righteous) to Zainab

The Prophet Peace be upon him said: "The worst names in the sight of Allah: a man whose name is the king of kings".

So the new Muslims should change their first names, if they contain wrong or bad meanings. As far as their last names are
concerned they should not be changed, because it is also forbidden in Islam to take the name of someone other than one's own
biological father. Allah says in the Quran:

"Proclaim their real parentage. That will be more equitable in the sight of Allah. And if you do not know their fathers, then they are
your brothers in the faith…" (Quran 33:5)

How Do I perform Wudu (ablution)?

“Cleanliness is half of faith,” the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) tells his companions in one of the Hadiths. These
well-known and oft-repeated words reveal not only the central importance of purity and cleanliness, but also the essential role water
plays in Islamic religion. Purification through ablution is an obligatory component of the Islamic prayer ritual; prayers carried out in
an impure state are not valid. This means Muslims are obliged to carry out ritual ablution before salat and reading the Quran. There
is no prayer without ablution.

1. Have the intention of purifying your heart and say Bismillah (In the name of Allah).

2. Wash your hands, front and back, up to and beyond the wrist three times, right hand first, then left.

44
3. Rinse your mouth three times, scooping the water up with your right hand.

4. Wash your nose three times by sniffing water up the nostrils and blowing it out.

5. Wash your face three times from the lobe of the left ear to the lobe of the right (width of the face), from the roots of the
hair of the head down to the lower part of the beard (length of the face), with due care, without neglecting any part.

6. Wash each arm up to and beyond the elbow three times, right arm first and then the left.

7. Pass the wet palms of both hands over your head and back. Then rub the inside and outside of the ears with the thumbs
and forefingers.

If you are a female and a non-mahram male (or non-Muslim who you believe may describe you to others) may see you (such
as in a public bathroom, etc.), do not remove your hijab or niqab... keep it on and wipe over it.

8. Wash your feet up to and beyond the ankle three times, right foot first and then the left. Make sure the water gets
between the toes by using your fingers.

After completing the aforementioned say: “I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah Alone and I
bear witness that Muhammad is His messenger.”

Wudu: What invalidates it?

If any of the following happen, you must perform wudu again before doing salah. It is recommended (but not mandatory) to always
be in a state of wudu, so it is not necessary to wait until hearing the adhan (call to Salah) before performing wudu.

Relieving oneself from the call of nature

Passing gas, i.e. breaking wind

The Messenger of Allah Peace be upon him said, "Allah does not accept the prayer of a person who has released gas until he makes
a new ablution.” This means passing wind with or without sound."

The Prophet said, "If one of you finds a disturbance in his abdomen and is not certain if he has released any gas or not, he should not
leave the mosque unless he hears its sound or smells its scent."

The Prophet Peace be upon him was asked about a person who feels something in his abdomen while praying. The Prophet Peace be
upon him said, "He should not leave (the prayer) until he hears or smells it."

Sexual Relations

One must perform ghusl (full bath) after sexual relations

Touching one's private parts with no barrier (i.e. cloth) between the hand and organ

In the event that you forget whether you have done wudu or not, err on the side of not re-performing wudu.... i.e. do not perform
wudu again unless you are sure that you broke/invalidated it.

Tayyamum (Dry Wudu)

Tayammum, is an Islamic ritual to subsidies wudu or ghusl in the absence or impossibility of the usage of water. It is one of the
special gifts to this Ummah (nation). The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: The earth has been appointed for us as a means of
cleansing when we do not find water.

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The method for performing Tayammum is described in the following hadith, in which the Prophet was instructing some of his
companions on the correct manner of performing it:

“It would have been sufficient for you to do like this,” The Prophet Peace be upon him then stroked lightly the earth with his hands
and then blew off the dust and passes his hands over his face and hands.

When is it permissible?

Tayammum can be performed in both states of impurity, ghusl or Wudu. This means, if one is in a state of major impurity and does
not find water, one can perform tayammum. The same also applies for the one who wants to make wudu and does not find water, he
can perform tayammum.

Inability, absence or insufficiency of Water:

The absence and insufficiency of water entitles one to perform tayammum. For Allah (swt) said: "...And you find no water, then
perform tayammum..." [4:43].

As for the inability to use water due to an illness or an extreme cold weather, one should bear in mind that the fear for one's health
must be certain and not imaginative. The scholars consider the illness which entitles one to tayammum as that which might add to
one's physical injury. It does not necessarily mean that it has to be a near fatal illness.

As for the insufficiency of water, such as where someone does not have enough water for his daily intake and Salah, one should
make tayammum for Salat and use the water for his needs. Imam Ahmed - May Allah have mercy on him, said (in the meaning):
"Many of the companions performed tayammum to save their water for drinking."

How Does a Muslim Stay Physically Pure?

Physical purity means cleanliness of the body, clothing and environment. According to the rules of Islam, Muslims should keep
their bodies and clothing clean from any impurities, especially the body wastes of humans and animals.

It is a must for muslims to wipe off the last drops of urine from their bodies with tissue paper and to not allow specks of dried feces
to cling to any parts of their bodies, even on clothing. After wiping with tissue paper, Muslims should find water and wash away
thoroughly all the impurities on them. Also applying to this rule are semen discharges and ejaculations. After ejaculation, or
sexual discharge a Muslim must wash his/her entire body. Islam insists on the use of clean water to cleanse the body of impurities,
and only when water is not available can a person use other things. Even the clothing should be perfectly clean from any
impurities. For that reason, Muslim bathrooms have a source of running water or pitchers of water next to the toilet.

Muslims should wash away any and all discharges received from animals during play, etc. This includes the saliva from dogs on
the human body, clothing, or on dishes used by humans for food.

Also considered impure is unnecessary hair on the body. Hair of the underarms and pubic area is considered unnecessary and
undesirable and should be removed regularly.

Circumcision for Muslims is strongly recommended because of its health advantages such as cleanliness and reducing the risk of
cancers in that area of the body. It is not required or recommended for Muslim women to do the same though.

Muslims must have perfect physical purity to pray the Salah (ritual Prayers), either by performing wudhu or ghusl.

Ghusl (Bathing)

A state of major impurity results from actions like sexual intercourse or sexual discharge for both men and women. A person in
such a state much perform ghusl (bathing) before praying Salah or reading the Qur’an. Women also have to perform ghusl after
their menstrual periods and postpartum bleeding.

The procedure for ghusl (bathing) is as follows:

1. Make the intention for ghusl.

46
 2. Wash the private parts, using the left hand. Then wash the left hand three times.

3. Perform wudu’ (ablution) as described above, except for the feet.

4. Pour water over your head to thoroughly wet your hair three times.

5. Wash the whole head and body three times, starting with the right side. Use your hands to make sure that water reaches every
part of your body.

6. Wash your feet up to and beyond the ankles three times, making sure the water gets between the toes.

A Muslim must bathe the whole body at least once a week. It is highly recommended that this be done each Friday before the
congregational Prayer.

Because the Salah (ritual Prayer) requires that one be in a state of purity, a woman is excused from Salah during her menstrual
periods and after childbirth until the postpartum bleeding stops or 40 days have passed, whichever comes first. She can and
should make other kinds of prayer, such as du‘a’ (supplication), five times a day while she is unable to perform Salah. When her
bleeding stops, she must perform ghusl (bathing) before performing Salah.

Why do I have to pray in Arabic?

Being a universal religion, Islam is meant for all people with their different languages. Although Arabic is the language of the
Qur'an and Islamic heritage, Islam did not aim at eradicating other languages that are mother tongues of Muslims in some parts of
the globe. Islam views the differences of human tongues as one of the Signs of Allah in His creation. This is proven by the fact that
Arabic is not the native tongue of the majority of Muslims. However, Muslims are required to perform prayer in Arabic.

"(1) It is well known that during their service of worship [Salaat], Muslims employ only the Arabic language: They recite certain
passages of the Qur’an and pronounce certain formulae to attest to the sublimity of God and humility of man. This is done both by
the Arabs and the non-Arabs, even by those who do not know a word of Arabic. Such was the case in time of the Prophet
Muhammad and such has been the case (since to this day, whatever the country and the tongue of Muslims.

(2) At first sight it may seem normal and even desirable that the faithful should address his prayer to the Lord in a way that he is
fully conscious of what he says. Of course, the mother-tongue is the medium best suited for the purpose, the worship being
performed in as many languages as are spoken by the Muslim community. But a little deeper consideration shows that there are
reasons that militate strongly against such a solution.

(3) It is noteworthy that according to the Islamic belief the Qur'an is the Word of Allah, the recitation of which is considered as
something meritorious. This is evident from the spiritual point of view. It stands as the faithful journey's unto the Lord through the
sacred word of the Lord Himself. His Word is the path towards Him, something like a wire to conduct the electrical current that
illuminates the bulb. The journey unto the Lord is of course the ultimate goal that every soul aspires to reach. The original Word has
been revealed in Arabic: any translation would be a human work and human word, and this can scarcely serve the purpose of this
mystical journey.

(4) For those who would seek more mundane reasons, let us recall first that a clear distinction is to be made between prayer, in the
sense of supplication (Du`aa'), and the prayer in the sense of the service of worship (Salaat), in so far as Du`aa' is concerned -- i.e.,
the prayer in general and outside the formal way of worshiping Allah, the tête-à-tête with the Lord (munajaat)-- nobody has ever
raised the slightest objection to the liberty of the individual to address one's need, one's petitions to the Lord in any language and in
any physical posture one prefers. It is purely personal and private affair and concerns the relations of the individual creature directly
with the Creator.

The Salaat [prayer], on the contrary, is a collective and public affair, where the needs and requirements of other companions of the
congregation are evidently to be taken into consideration. It is pointedly to bring into relief that the Salaat is in principle and
preferably to be performed in common along with others (congregation): the Salaat individually and in isolation is only tolerated
and never recommended, the preference going to the congregational service. Let us see now more closely the diverse aspects of this
collective and public act which is performed in the company of others.

(5) Had Islam been a regional, racial or national religion, one would certainly have employed the current language of the region, of
the race, of the nation. But quite different are the requirements of a universal religion, whose members speak hundreds of regional

47
languages -- of which each is incomprehensible to all the rest of the human groups -- belonging to all the races and inhabitants of all
the regions of the earth. Our life today is getting more and more cosmopolitan, and practically every town has Muslims belonging to
several linguistic groups, both from among the permanent residents and the travelers in transit, and has to take into consideration the
aspect of courtesy and hospitality to strangers. Supposing an Englishman goes to China and knows not a word of its language, and
supposing he hears in the street something like "chen chu chih shan", evidently he would not understand what is meant by that; and
if it is the regional translation of the well-known call to prayer, the Allahu Akbar, he would fail to perceive it and would miss the
weekly prayer on Friday, or the congregational prayer of the moment.

Similarly a Chinese Muslim, traveling through other countries, would find nothing in common with his co-religionists if these
others said their congregational worship in their local tongues. So a universal religion requires certain basic things to be common to
all the faithful. The call to prayer and the formulae to be recited in the act of worship evidently constitute part of such fundamental
and basic elements of the practice of the cult. A passing remark may be made about the fact that sometimes words of two different
languages sound alike but have different significations, at times the harmless word of one signifying something ridiculous or
obscene in another. Such a risk is greater in languages with which one is utterly unfamiliar, and hears them only during a journey
for example. This would be contrary to the dignity of the service of worship to Allah. Things familiar from childhood avoid such
complications, even if the individual is a non-Arab and recites in Arabic the required formulae.

(6) One cannot neglect the psychological aspect of human beings who have at times petty prejudices of xenophobia. Occasions
would arise daily when political (national) or even personal and individual frictions would induce, for instance, an Englishman not
to participate in the Salaat led in French or Russian or some other language. Arabic, as the language of the Qur'an and the Hadith,
has a respect and a halo in the minds of every Muslim, and one employs it not as the language of the Arabs but as the language of
the Prophet Muhammad, the language of the Mothers of the Faithful, the language Allah Himself has chosen for revealing His latest
Word for us.

(7) The needs of unity among the co-religionists can never be too much stressed upon. One should create new links to strengthen
their ties of fraternity, rather than destroy those that already exist.

(8) There is another aspect of the question which is no less important. In fact no translation ever replaces the original. There are for
instance, nowadays numerous translations of the Holy Qur'an in English (as also in practically every language of the world), yet
every now and then there are new and unceasing attempts to produce another translation, thinking that the older ones are partly
defective. This is true not only of English but of every language of the world, and true also of the translation of any and every work.
Should one utilize a defective thing or the perfect one, the translation or the original?

(9) Let us recall in this connection that practically no religion, excepting Islam, possesses today integrally the original of the
Revelation on which it is based, the original teaching of its founder: It is the translation, or at best fragments, of which dispose the
Christian, Jewish, and other communities. How fortunate the Muslims are that they form an exception, and possess integrally the
original text of the Revelation, the Holy Qur'an!

(10) One should not lose sight of the fact that in the entire Salaat there are very few passages to recite. There are first the Adhan and
Iqamah (call to prayer). Then inside the service of worship there are the formulae Allahu-Akbar, Subhana rabbiyal-'azim, Subhana
rabbyal-a`la, the short chapter al-Fatiha, two other short chapters, the Tashahhud, and that is all. The totality does not exceed a page
of small size, and most of the words of these texts are commonly understood by the Muslim masses and have penetrated into all the
languages of the Muslim countries, so much so that even a child or a beginner learns their meaning without pain and without strain.
And once the significance of these formulae is learnt, the Salaat of a Muslim remains no more a mechanical recitation without
understanding.

(11) There is an aspect of Arabic language which merits to be brought into relief here. Apart from its incomparable musical
qualities, recognized on all hands, the Arabic language itself, in its literary form, has changed since at least 1500 years neither in
grammar, nor vocabulary, nor spelling, nor even pronunciation. Those who understand the language of Arabic newspapers and radio
broadcasts today understand as perfectly the language of the Holy Qur’an. For a religion brought by the last of the Messengers of
Allah and the Seal of the prophets, and also destined for all times till the end of the world, is it not providential that the language
selected for this Message should also be otherwise stable and unchanging? Otherwise Allah in His unlimited mercy would uselessly
be obliged to repeat the same Message to a new prophet in a new book comprehensible to the living men.

48
 What is Sunnah?

Lexically sunnah means: a way, course, rule, mode, manner, or manner of acting, or conduct of life. In the Quran the word sunnah
and its plural sunnan have been used 16 times. In every case it is used in the sense of an established course of rule, mode of life,
and line of conduct.

When Allah ordered us to obey the Prophet peace be upon him and take his life as a model, the term sunnah came into use. The
usage of the term began during the time of the Prophet peace be upon him and it was used by him. The sunnah of the Prophet peace
be upon him means his way and mode of life. Hadith means the narration(s) about the life of the Prophet peace be upon him. The
terms sunnah and hadith are usually used almost interchangeably though there is a slight difference between them.

"And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, leave it. And fear Allah: truly Allah is severe in
punishment” (59:7)

In Islam, the Arabic word sunnah has come to denote the way Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the
Messenger of Allah, lived his life. The Sunnah is the second source of Islamic jurisprudence, the first being the Quran. Both sources
are indispensable; one cannot practice Islam without consulting both of them.

The Arabic word hadith (pl. ahadith) is very similar to Sunnah, but not identical. In the Quran the word sunnah and its plural
sunnan have been used 16 times. A hadith is a narration about the life of the Prophet (SAW) or what he approved - as opposed to
his life itself, which is the Sunnah as already mentioned.

The Prophet Peace be upon him used to teach the Sunnah to his companions in word and deed, and urged them to follow it, as he
said in his hadith: “Adhere to my Sunnah” and “Whoever neglects my Sunnah does not belong to me.” The companions of the
Prophet peace be upon him (may Allah be pleased with them) used to spread the Sunnah of the Prophet Peace be upon him, among
people and they called them to follow it.

The Messenger of Allah Peace be upon him said: “There is no Prophet whom Allah sent to any nation before me, but he had
disciples from among his nation, and companions who followed his Sunnah and obeyed his commands.”

Some aspects of the Sunnah are waajib (obligatory) and some are mustahabb (encouraged). The Muslim should follow the Sunnah
of the Prophet Peace be upon him, whether it is waajib (obligatory) or mustahabb (encouraged), as long as it is proven in sound
reports. The Prophet Peace be upon him, himself is the model of behavior for the Muslim Society: Allah says Quran 33:21 “Indeed
a noble model you have in Allah’s Messenger...”

If we consider the Prophet Peace be upon him as the model for the community, than Muslims have to follow his sunnah (example)
in every way. Allah ordered complete obedience to the Prophet Peace be upon him. For this reason the Muslim community
accepted the authority of the Prophet Peace be upon him.

WHAT IS HADITH?
A hadith (Arabic pl. ahadith) literally means “a saying,” but in the Islamic technical sense, a hadith refers to any of the following:
1. The sayings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), for example:
“Islam has been built on five (pillars): testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah, performing the Prayers, paying the zakah, making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.”
2. The Prophet’s acts, for example:
Abdur-Rahman asked `A’ishah, “How was the prayer of Allah’s Messenger in the month of Ramadan?” She replied, “He used not
to pray more than eleven rak`ahs whether in Ramadan or in any other month. He used to offer four rak`ahs, let alone their beauty
and length, and then four rak`ahs, let alone their beauty and length. Afterwards he would offer three rak`ahs.
3. The Prophet’s tacit approval of an action or practice, for example:
The Prophet’s approval of Khalid’s eating of the meat of dabb (a desert lizard).

49
4. The Prophet’s attributes, whether physical or moral, for example:
“The Prophet was of moderate height, having broad shoulders and (long) hair reaching his ear-lobes. Once I saw him in a red
cloak and I had never seen a more handsome man than him.”
“The Prophet was the most generous of all the people, and he used to become more generous in Ramadan when Gabriel met him.
Gabriel used to meet him every night during Ramadan to revise the Qur’an with him. Allah’s Messenger then used to be more
generous than the fast wind.”
The Hadith (capitalized) is sometimes used as a collective noun to refer to the entire collection of the hadiths.

Difference between Quran and Hadith

The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, sent down to the last prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), through the
Angel Jibreel (Gabriel), in its precise wording, transmitted to us by numerous persons, both verbally and in writing.
Hadith, on the other hand, refers to the Prophet’s sayings, acts, tacit approval, and his physical and moral characters.
From the above we can infer that while the Qur’an is the very word of Allah, Hadith consists of the words, actions, and approval
of a human being. Since Hadith does not convey the exact words of Allah, there is no problem, under certain conditions, to narrate
the meaning of a hadith. This is not the case with the Qur’an, which should be recited in its exact words.
Further, only the Qur’an can be recited while performing Prayer (salah), NOT THE Hadith.

Significance of Hadith in Islam

Hadith is integral to the Qur’an, since they are inseparably linked to each other. It is impossible to understand the Qur’an without
reference to Hadith. The Qur’an is the message, and the Hadith is the explanation of the message by the Messenger himself. I
mention the following points to clarify the issue:
1. The Qur’an makes it abundantly clear that the function of the Messenger is not merely that of a deliveryman who simply
delivers the revelation from Allah to us. Rather, he has been entrusted with the most important task of explaining and illustrating
the same. This is a point mentioned in a number of verses in the Qur’an:
The Prophet peace be upon him is to show and explain what was revelaed. (An-Nahl 16:44)
Therefore, Hadith explains, clarifies, and removes ambiguities about the Qur’an. Hence, once we reject the Hadith, we may never
be able to figure out the whole meaning of the Qur’an.
2. Much of Islam will remain mere abstract concepts without Hadith. We would never know how to pray, fast, pay zakah, or make
pilgrimage without the illustration found in Hadith, for these acts of worship remain as abstract imperatives in the Qur’an.
3. The Qur’an tells us the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has taught not only the Book but also the wisdom (See
Qur’an: 96:2; 33:34; 4:113, etc.) The word wisdom mentioned here is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him); so if we were to reject the Hadith, we would be rejecting the Qur’an itself.

New Muslim Question and Answer

(Excerpts taken from www.islamonline.net )
****************************

Question:
I feel so frustrated sometimes because I am a British convert but the ummah where I live is mainly
Pakistani and I feel very unwelcome if I visit the mosque--any advice on how to overcome the wall of icy
silence whenever I approach?

Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
You're not the only one who has this problem. We hear it a lot! I've never had to face a wall of ICY
silence, but I have visited mosques where no one greeted me, even though I was new there.
50
Though it is difficult when you are new to the religion as well—not just to the community—you might
just try facing that ice with a big smile and a hand ready to shake others' hands. "As-Salamu `alaykum,
I'm Sarah, and I'm a new Muslim." And then try to say something nice to the other person. Admire her
dress or her child,
anything. Try to start a conversation by asking questions.

It is not easy, I'll admit. Often times new sisters come and after the first few questions everyone shuts up.
Nothing else to say. So you might want to read some books on "breaking the ice." Keep trying. After a
few visits to the mosque you won't be a new face, and maybe things will warm up a bit. Volunteer to help
in any way you can, too. You can also see if there is another mosque near you with a different
community.

Selma Cook says:

We all have our challenges, don't we! The mosque is supposed to be a place where one draws closer to
Allah, contemplates and finds peace.

The fact that the sisters are treating you like this is simply because they do not understand the message of
Islam. Many Muslims are tied down by cultural behavior and expectations that limits their
comprehension of the universal nature of Islam. Allah gave us the answer to every problem and there is
an answer to this one too. He the Almighty told us to return good for evil.

When someone does something wrong or nasty to you, return it with goodness, like, a smile, a kind word -
no harshness, no haughtiness etc. Try to be an example like the Prophet (peace be upon him) was and he
was treated so badly but never retaliated or treated people harshly. Take him (peace be upon him) as your
example and proceed.

You could always try to visit another mosque from time to time to make more friends and have more
contacts. May Allah bless you and turn this iciness into true sisterhood.

**************************
Question:
I have been a Muslim for over five years now. I am middle aged. My entire family are not comfortable
that I am a Muslim. They treat me with the barest civility. Whenever I am invited to my parent’s house
for a meal, my mother always serves pork, though she does make some chicken for me. All the adults
drink alcohol. Even at family gatherings, such as birthdays, there is alcohol and pork served in the form
of pepperoni on pizza or as luncheon meat. Of course I do not eat the pork or touch the alcohol. Do I keep
visiting my family under these circumstances? What would you suggest? I do not wish to alienate them
further; after all, they are my family.

Answer:
You must never cut off your relations completely from your parents and relatives. Allah tells us in the
Qur'an that we must honor our parents and treat them kindly even if they are non-Muslims; we must,
however, never do things that would displease Allah in order to please them.

So you should continue to visit them, but must never compromise your Islamic principles. Bear patiently
and pray to Allah to guide their hearts to the Truth; only Allah knows whether they will understand the

51
truth about Islam and accept it, for after all many of the early Muslims including the Caliph `Umar were
arch enemies of Islam and persecutors of Muslims. So deal with them gently and graciously and forgive
them their misbehavior towards you and never give up praying for them for guidance. I pray that Allah
grant you strength and patience-ameen. Allah Almighty knows best.

***********************
Question:
Please can you tell few words about your experience as converts after moving to an Arabic country? My
wife is a convert and we are hoping to be able to bring our children to a Muslim country where we can
find some kind of Islamic life for family?

Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
You say your wife is a convert, so I'm assuming that you are not, but that you are not Arab?

This is really a loaded question, and you will get many different answers from people. For myself, I came
to Egypt because my husband is Egyptian and wanted to move back to help his parents in their old age,
and he didn't like the racism that the kids were learning in the States. But I would never have come
alone.

One thing I've learned here is to appreciate the freedom of speech I had back home. I know that if I ever
went back to the States (or any other Western country) I would become involved with politics and try to
change the direction of society.

But I have always had mixed feelings about being here, as do all my foreign friends here. Mostly because
the schools are atrocious here, and life is so corrupt. You have to pay bribes for everything. And you can't
go into a shop and expect honest answers to your questions until you've been there several times and they
know you. THIS is an Islamic environment?

Yes, my kids have less exposure to dating and pressure and temptations, but there is satellite TV here,
and the Internet. Kids might not get stuff from home, but they can get it from friends. What I'm saying
is that you shouldn't think that they are totally "safe" in a Muslim country.

I could say a lot more, but I think I should answer a few other questions. Perhaps you could submit this
to Ask About Islam on www.islamonline.net for further discussion.

Selma Cook says:

May Allah guide you to the best place for you and your family. When we think about a place that is good
to raise our children and live according to Islamic principles - well there is no perfect place in the world!
There are some places that allow people the freedom to actually practice their religion but that freedom is
diminishing bit by bit worldwide. So once we realize that no place is going to really be 'ideal' then we can
start to look for a place that has more advantages. Like I just said freedom to practice Islam varies from
one place to another--even in Arabic countries.

But the main benefit of being in an Arabic country is that there is the chance to learn Arabic, attend
classes to memorize Qu'ran, pray in the mosque (there are plenty) and hear the Adhan. But strangely
enough, you still have to prepare yourself for some misunderstandings about Islam that are often based

52
on culture rather than the religion itself.

Then there is the challenge of educating the children. The general education system (at least here in
Egypt) is based on the rote system of learning which is very different from what may be called 'western'
education which is based on understanding the information rather than merely memorizing it; developing
creativity and initiative which isn't a priority here; and skills building which also isn't considered to be
important (generally speaking). So many foreigners, especially those from Western background tend to
try out the local schools and then opt out for a 'western style' education. Now the schools that cater to
this usually teach Arabic and a little bit of Qu'ran (not really a priority) and they (usually) allow the girls
to wear hijab. Of course such schools are much more expensive than the usual Arabic or language schools.
I concentrated on the issue of education because, as I understand, most foreigners come here mainly to
educate their children and this is indeed a challenge.
******************
Question:
I have a huge tattoo on my right arm of Jesus on the Cross with the saying "Jesus is Lord and God". How
am I suppose to do Hajj? I mean, I know Allah forgives my previous sins but wouldn't some Muslims
react poorly to this display especially during Hajj? I cannot get rid of it, I have looked into it. I hear
Muslims are suppose to act right or their Hajj is invalid.

Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
Hajj is to allow yourself to just submit to Allah completely for those few days. "Let go." So if He has
given you the means to make Hajj, then go and remember that you are His guest. He will protect you. If
someone does attack you in ignorance, you are still in the hands of Allah.

If you are able to make Hajj—and there are millions of Muslims who wish they could but who do not
have the means—then do so and trust in Allah. Thank Him for that opportunity and seek His help and
blessings.

You might find this article on www.islamonline.net interesting: Hajj: Let Go!

http://www.islamonline.net/English/introducingislam/Worship/Pilgrimage/article06.shtml

Selma Cook says:

May Allah bless you for your desire to please Him.
First of all, our actions are judged according to the intention behind them. So your intention has been and
is to remove it but you haven't been able to
and now you want to perform Hajj. Well go and perform it with an intention to do so for the sake of
Allah and it will be accepted according to your sincerity and obedience.

Also, anything we did before is forgiven and even changed into good deeds! I appreciate your concern that
some Muslims might get upset on seeing this tattoo and there may be some (misguided people) who would
get angry and so on so the only thing I can think of, and please check this with the Shari'ah department
on www.islamonline.net, is to smear makeup over the area which would conceal it at least.

**************************

53
Question:
I have been Muslim for a Year now. Actually, just in title. I have not prayed or gone to jummuah for the
whole year. I took my shahada before Ramadan last year thinking I could be a good practicing Muslim in
a day. I was wrong. It is most difficult when one has not been exposed to Islam before. I have many lazy
habits and must unlearn things and learn new things. My question is: must I do my shahada again? It's
really hard to know what to do because I do believe in Islam, yet I think I can wait and wait then repent
when I feel ready. I know this is not correct. Do you have any advice for me? I would like to go to the
Mosque but I know they think I take religion as a joke now since I never go. It's hard. I also have a job
that many Muslim men do not respect and in a way I feel that helped me shy away from the mosque. I
take care of my preschooler at home while my wife works and the men hate it, even though my wife and I
agree on the situation and it works for us.

Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
I don't think you have to take Shahadah again, but you DO need to work on your relationship with
Allah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told us that the dividing line between the non-believer and the
Muslim is the prayer (salah), so you DO need to learn to pray. Not only learn HOW to, but learn to DO it
regularly.

You are right that it can be very difficult to change your old habits, especially if you're not around
Muslims. I would suggest that you try to make friends with one or two brothers, and really make an effort
to spend time with them so that you can learn from them. Not necessarily "knowledge" but learn new
habits, even if by "osmosis."

It was, of course, unrealistic of you to expect to become a "good practicing Muslim in a day." Now that
you recognize that, work on breaking your "lazy habits." Repent, and ask Allah to help you. Then work
on breaking your lazy habits one at a time. Don't try to correct everything at once, because for sure you'll
fail. But work first on the prayers. If you can't get in the habit to do all five prayers, get in the habit to do
one prayer a day, regularly. After two or three weeks, add another one, and so on until you're in the habit
of doing all five prayers each and every day.

Don't be ashamed about going to the mosque because they might think bad of you. Perhaps there are new
faces there who won't recognize that you came a year ago. Try to make friends and join some lessons
there.

As for your staying at home while your wife works, it really is not acceptable from an Islamic point of
view. (You can check our Fatwa bank or Ask the Scholar on www.islamonline.net.) HOWEVER, you
can't expect to turn your whole life around overnight. So I would advise you to concentrate on forming
the habit of praying regularly, fasting Ramadan, paying zakah, and then work gradually on your other
problems.

Selma Cook says:

May Allah bless you and strengthen your faith. I must say I'm impressed by many things I know about
you from your question

Many people who call themselves Muslims do not practice the Deen yet they fail to admit it, even to
themselves. And this is the first step to developing oneself. Allah has seen fit to keep your faith in tact

54
despite your not praying. You know, every time you pray you renew your shahadah. So how many times
a day we get the chance to renew our covenant with Allah the Creator of all!

I became a Muslim nearly 17 years ago but i still remember how difficult it is to 'unlearn' like you
described. It is quite a long process and I must say I am still 'unlearning' and hopefully learning too.

Allah is the One who grants us knowledge and understanding as a gift from Him. He promises to respond
to us if we call upon Him and that is what prayer (Salah) is all about. Allah doesn't need us to pray to
Him but WE need to communicate with Him; we need to remember Him; we need to ask for His
forgiveness and help and guidance..

We need to thank Him, praise Him - and Muslims do that five times a day in their Prayers.

So your prayer, and this is important to remember, is between you and Allah. Nobody else has anything
at all to do with your relation with Allah. The more you come closer to Allah, the more you will know and
understand yourself, your life, the people around you, the meaning of life and the importance of the next
life.

Prayer is like a life-line - it stops us from sinking in this life. And this life is indeed difficult and many
people sink and destroy themselves, don't they?

So cling to the rope that Allah has extended to you (which is Prayer) and take tight hold of it; love your
Lord more than you love yourself or anyone else in your life. Seek to be close to Him like you seek to be
close to the people you love.

So when you go to the mosque, that's an extension of your prayer. Your going to the mosque is between
you and Allah and if anyone else doesn't like you going - that's their problem. Don't let it become your
problem too. So many people are small-minded and talkative - leave them be. Keep the Qu'ran with you
and read it, especially when you're feeling down. Allah will talk to you through the words it contains and
you'll find the insight and strength to put your life in order.

I'm impressed that you and your wife communicate to the point that you share this life's tasks. I think
you already understand the real essence of the man/woman relationship.

In Islam, it is one of sharing. Ideally, the woman is best to stay at home because it is an essential part of
her nature to care of children but if work is not available for the man or there is a need for added money,
or or or.... then you can both find a suitable solution that is best for all involved. As the man of the house,
you hold the responsibility, but Islam is flexible and indeed, in these times work can be very hard to find.

So I pray for you, that you will sort out your life and put yourself in harmony with the teaching and
principles of Islam. I make this prayer for all of us.

**************************
Question:
I am considering converting to Islam. It feels right in every aspect except one---I find it so difficult to
accept the fact that dogs are unclean. I know that I have to accept Islam as the "whole package" but this
topic disturbs me. Did you have any areas you felt unsure about? Any tips on what to do?

55
Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
You ask whether there were areas I was unsure of before I converted. I think there probably were, but I
can't remember them now!

I can only imagine that this question is bothering you because you are a dog lover and probably have one
or more as pets. It would be very hard to have to give up your beloved animals. You can check our Fatwa
Bank or Ask the Scholar about this, because I think there is some leeway on the issue of having dogs in
the house.

If everything else about Islam seems right to you, why not accept it and convert? When you look at the
whole world and all the big questions—who are we? Who is God? Why are we here?—the issue of keeping
dogs in the house is really a small issue.

Selma Cook says:

May Allah strengthen you in your desire to become a Muslim and live your life according to Islam.

You are right. When we become Muslims we have to accept the whole package and it helps to keep in
mind that Allah has prescribed for us everything that is good for us and forbidden whatever is bad for us.
So trust in this concept and move forward.

The thing about dogs is that their saliva is unclean and contact with it requires washing and if it's on
one's clothes, they too have to be washed. Apart from the saliva the dog is not 'unclean' i mean you can
pet it, touch it etc but just the saliva. You can't keep it in the house but you can keep it as a guard dog or
on the farm. Muslims are supposed to be kind to animals and never harm them - that goes for dogs too.

For me, I was something of a musician before I accepted Islam but now I find the same (if not more)
satisfaction and joy in listening to and reciting Qur'an. I look for songs that have true meanings and that
uplift the heart and remind me of Allah and His creation and truths of life. I guess we all have our
challenges but if we seek Alalh's help to understand what's expected of us and why, everything is rendered
easy.
************************
Question:
I have recently converted to Islam (al hamdulillah) and many people tell me that I have to change my
name. I don't understand why. Did you change your names?

Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
Welcome to Islam. No, you don't have to change your name, especially if it has a good meaning.

**************************

Question:
I was married to a Muslim. Right now I am going through a divorce because of "irreparable differences",
but at the same time I believe I want to be a Muslim. I am afraid of becoming a Muslim alone, because it
is so different and I don't know many Muslims except for my husband's friends and family (who are not
very friendly with me). Any advice?

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Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
Divorce is a painful thing, and I hope God makes it easy for you.
I would suggest that you read as much as you can about Islam—from this Web site
(www.islamonline.net) and others, and from books. You can also see if there is a mosque near you that
has lessons about Islam.

Through the New Muslims Project and also Web sites such as www.convertstoislam.org and Discussion
Forum for Converts you can learn more about Islam and interact with others who are new converts or
about to convert. I don't think that you should feel you are doing it alone. There are plenty of other new
Muslims—and others who want to help them. You just need to make some contacts outside of the circle
of your husband's family and friends. May Allah guide you.

Selma Cook says:

May Allah grant you relief after your hardship and guide you to understand Islam and find friends who
will help you along the way.

Divorce is always a difficult thing to go through but Allah is wise and merciful, and if you seek His
guidance and trust in Him you will find the way will open up for you in ways that you could never
imagine. But you have to make the first step. The first step is to make shahadah and become a Muslim.
After that, contact mosques or Islamic centers in your area and find out about lessons for Muslim women
so you can learn more. This will help you to make new friends and to gain knowledge at the same time.

You can turn away from the people you used to know and trusting in Allah, find new people - people who
will appreciate you and your desire to change your life and live according to Islam. It is a significant step
but not necessarily difficult; life is difficult, but Islam simplifies things and puts us on the way to seek
help and guidance from Allah and tap into the greatest and only source of peace. May Allah bless you.

*****************

Question:
I have a question that I think you are the best ones to answer it. I work at an Islamic website and I am
supposed to be a caller to Islam but the problem is that I have some feeling that may seem strange. I feel
that it is difficult, if not impossible, for a certain person to leave his/her religion to adopt a new one. I say
to myself how anyone convert to a new religion in an environment that does not adopt this religion and
how could he be patient to practice this religion and stick to it. I know that this feeling is baseless in
reality since there are many people convert to Islam, but I really want to know how anyone, say a
Christian for example, feel when he/she converts to Islam. I want to hear from you, even in brief, the
emotional experience which one feel when he/she revert to Islam

Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
I've heard a lot of conversion stories from others, and I don't think you can generalize. Everyone has a
very different story. For myself, I had already dropped out of the Church four years before I found Islam,
so it wasn't the same experience as one who leaves the church in order to become Muslim.

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I felt very happy, almost giddy, the day I converted. It took me a while to totally feel comfortable as a
Muslim, especially as an American Muslim. Because there is so much to learn in becoming a Muslim—how
to pray, how to behave in the mosque, what foods to avoid, etc. But I never had any doubts about my
new faith. Even when I was disappointed in the behavior of Muslims, I was never disappointed in Islam.

Selma Cook says:

Thanks so much for your insightful question. You shouldn't find it hard to believe that a person really
can change! It's been happening since the beginning of time and like you say, Islam is the fastest growing
religion in the West...so? Perhaps the question - why are people ABLE to accept Islam? Simple answer.
Allah created all mankind with an inbuilt nature (fitra) and when the child grows and is exposed to an
environment alien to its inbuilt nature, it adapts but the 'conscience' (or nature of man) remains. That
still small voice inside each one of us that directs us, ever so faintly at times, to what is right and wrong.
If the person is hard hearted and acts against that nature, the 'voice of conscience' becomes weaker and
weaker and sometimes hardly perceptible. Ok, so when a person finds Islam, and re-discovers it (because
the principles of Islam are already embedded in the psyche of the person) it strikes a chord.

If you read people's conversion stories you'll find a common thread - people say things like 'I just knew it
was right' or 'I read Qu'ran and found the things I’d always believed deep inside written down!' When the
person finds Islam, it's like they have 'come home'. A feeling of peace and tranquility prevails.

For example, we know that everything in creation obeys Allah implicitly, except mankind. So that
means, that in nature we find peace right? When a person feels depressed, stressed out, etc they most
often go to the mountains, the river, the sea etc to find peace - to rediscover themselves.... why? Because
there is peace in obedience to Allah. Likewise when a person finds Islam, they put themselves in harmony
with creation; with their own selves and they find 'peace.' That still small voice is quiet, still and settled -
perhaps it is so, for the first time in that person's life.

********************

Question:
I just became Muslim last month and have a question. How do you find out what you need to know as a
Muslimah if you weren't born a Muslim or have any family that is Muslim?

Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
Welcome to Islam. The best way to find out is to find another Muslim sister who knows. Check out
www.islamicfinder.com to find a mosque near you. Then there are always Web sites such as this one (and
others that we recommend) and books from Islamic publishers.

You can start by browsing our Ask About Islam page, or by reading Readings for New Muslims
http://www.islamonline.net/askaboutislam/display.asp?hquestionID=4818
Advice for New Muslims or those considering Islam
http://www.islamfortoday.com/ummzaid03.htm<br>http://www.islamfortoday.com/ummzaid03.htm
General Advice for New Muslims from Other Converts
http://www.convertstoislam.org/introduction/advice_to_from_newmuslims.htm
Converts to Islam

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Selma Cook says:
Welcome to Islam. May Allah bless you and strengthen your faith and resolution to put your life in
harmony with Islam.
When becoming a Muslim the first thing you have to do is learn to pray. There are many books available
and on Islam Online there is a file that will take you step by step how to pray. See How to Perform Salah
(Ritual Prayers) on www.islamonline.net.
http://www.islamonline.net/english/introducingislam/Worship/Prayers/article04.shtm
Then you have to learn to read Arabic and memorize some small chapters from the Qu'ran. Don't think
this is too difficult though! Believe me, I am not one for memorizing but when it came to learning to pray
and memorize Qur'an for prayer Allah helped me so much and i did it! So, like everything else in your life,
ask Allah for help to learn how to pray and read and memorize the Qu'ran and you WILL do it inshaa
Allah.

You also have to make friends with Muslim women who are practicing Islam so you can learn from them
and they can be uplifted by your wonderful spirit. There is nothing like a new Muslim to enthuse those
around her and refresh the wonderful covenant we have made with Allah when we first accepted Islam.
When it comes to understanding the etiquettes of Islam, that takes time so be patient with yourself.

When I first became a Muslim I didn't real know any Muslims for a long time and I used to spend a lot of
time in the library reading and thinking. Then when I met Muslims I had some kind of background to
work from - because there is a lot of traditional behavior among Muslim communities that have little to
do with Islam. So that's something to be aware of.

*************************

Question:
Where did you first become interested in Islam? I have a friend who lives a life according to Islam, but
doesn't follow Islam. They are Hindu. What lead you to understand that Islam is the best way of life for
you?
Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
Everyone has a different story to tell. You can read lots of conversion stories on our
http://www.islamonline.net/english/journey/index.shtml My Journey to Islam on www.islamonline.net
page.

I first became interested in Islam when I was teaching undergraduates who were Muslims. I have always
been interested in other cultures and I was getting my masters degree in teaching English as a Foreign
Language, so I was curious to know what my students believed in. I never intended to become a Muslim,
but al-hamdu lillah (all praise to Allah), Allah opened my heart and I read more and more, asked a lot of
questions, and accepted Islam.
You can read my whole story in www.islamonline.net, Dedicating a Life to God.

Selma Cook says:

Islam essentially means peace and that peace if achieved by submission to Allah. So there is a dual
meaning - submission...peace. One being the consequence of the other. When a person follows their own
ideas and whims or the ideas and whims of others, there will be no peace and no submission to Allah.
Hence, Islam regards other ideologies as 'manmade' therefore essentially not perfect. At the same time,

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many religions have their basis in Islam. Let me explain.

Allah sent Prophets and Messengers to the earth since the time of Adam (peace be upon him) so mankind
has always had 'guidance' from Allah and that guidance is based on submission to Allah resulting in peace
(peace within oneself, one's community etc) hence the message through all the prophets is essentially
'Islam'. So Adam, Moses, Abraham, Jesus, Lot, Noah and Muhammad (peace be upon them all) were all
Prophets and Messengers of Allah so therefore they were 'Muslims' in every sense of the word and
followers of 'Islam'.
Once a person realizes this, it is easy to see how other religions, which may have been based on the
teachings of some prophet a long time ago, still have some intrinsic 'Islamic' elements.

That is why many religions find similarities between themselves and Islam (meaning the final revelation
from Allah to the earth through Muhammad (peace be upon him) and revealed in the Qur’an.

Choosing a religion is not like going shopping and picking the best one you like off the shelf. It's a matter
of the spirit, as mentioned in a previous question - a matter of the essential 'nature' born in every human
being. This nature means that every person instinctively looks for the Creator; hence, religion has existed
as long as mankind has existed.

So when the person finds Islam, there is a spiritual awakening, a feeling of 'coming home', of recognizing
the simplicity and truth in its principles. Simply put, Islam coincides with the nature of mankind and
calls for values that are universally acknowledged. Values like honesty, respect for the elderly, tenderness
between family, trustworthiness, and so on.

**************************
Question:
I am a 30-something woman and have met a wonderful Muslim man who wants to marry me.

I have over the past ten years or so been interested in Islam as a true religion, I have not converted
however. I have not yet agreed to the marriage but I want to. I am scared of being a Muslim because I
don't understand everything.

To tell you the truth, I have never asked any Muslim regarding Islam, but have read much about it and
have many questions.

Answer:
AElfwine Mischler says:
If this guy is really wonderful, why not marry him? A Muslim man is allowed to marry a Christian or
Jewish woman, so you don't have to convert to marry. However, your children should be brought up in
the Islamic religion.

Maybe later on you will convert to Islam; maybe you never will. As for being scared of not understanding
everything … well, I don't know if any of us understand everything. But we accept as best we can and
move ahead.

Have you tried asking God for guidance?

Maybe you're more afraid of what changes Islam would bring to your life. These links may help you:

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What Changes Would Islam Bring to My Life?
http://www.islamonline.net/askaboutislam/display.asp?hquestionID=6925
How to Live as a Muslim
http://www.islamonline.net/askaboutislam/display.asp?hquestionID=8349
In the meantime, keep reading about Islam, and keep asking questions of knowledgeable people. And you
can always send questions to Ask About Islam on www.islamonline.net.

Selma Cook says:

May Allah the Almighty bless you in your life and guide you to understand the beauty of Islam. The
basic thing about Islam is our belief in Allah the Creator of all. The fact that we acknowledge and worship
Him as the only source of help, of peace, or guidance - brings peace to your life because you know that
nothing and nobody can affect you without His Divine will.

We pray to Him directly, without any intermediary, and can call upon Him at any time for help,
forgiveness, and guidance or simply to give thanks. Because Allah has sent prophets since the beginning
of time (Adam (peace be upon him) ending with Muhammad (peace be upon him) mankind is not left
alone without guidance. We have the Qu'ran and the Sunnah (sayings and actions) of the Prophet to
guide us in every aspect of life. If we follow that guidance sincerely for Allah's sake we will know
ourselves, understand our lives and what's expected of us, how to deal with others (and appreciate them),
and gain success in the next life.

I hope that helps as some kind of introduction. Islam Online's Discover Islam section on
www.islamonline.net has a whole lot more information.

**************************

Question:
If the woman I'm marrying is a new convert, how much time should I give her before expecting her to
observe hijab?

Answer:
You must wait until she has absorbed the fundamental tenets and pillars of Islam. Remember, in Islam
such laws came at a much later date. In other words, in all of Makkan phase, there were no strict laws; it
was only in Madinah these laws were revealed in gradual stages; so we must never force a convert to wear
hijab immediately. Let her take time to understand the proper concepts.
Allah Almighty knows best.
*************************

Question:
I am a recent revert to Islam. I have difficulty in explaining to my non-Muslim family what we believe
regarding Jesus and the crucifixion. Can you help?

Answer:
Muslims believe in all prophets sent by God to human beings. We believe faithfully in the strongest of
them, called ulu `azm (Prophets of firm will): Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon all of them). We believe in all of them, trust them and we consider Jesus, as the Qur'an
said: (Al-Masih, the son of Maryam, was no more than a Messenger; many were the Messengers that

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passed away before him. His mother was a woman of truth. They had both to eat their (daily) food. See
how Allah doth make His Signs clear to them; yet see in what ways they are deluded away from the
truth!) (Al-Ma’idah 5: 75)

So, we believe that Jesus was a human being, a prophet and messenger of Allah and His word to Mary.
We don't believe that Jesus was crucified as Almighty Allah says: (but they killed him not, nor crucified
him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no
(certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not.) (An-Nisa’ 4: 157)

So, we believe that Allah elevated Jesus and raised him up to heaven, by making someone that betrayed
him to be his look-alike, so the Romans crucified him instead of Jesus. Therefore, we believe he is still
alive, not in this world, and Allah will send him before the Day of Judgment to kill and Dajjal (the anti-
Christ). This is simply the Islamic faith of Jesus, which shows extreme respect and love for Jesus and all
prophets (peace and blessings be upon them).

You can also read on www.islamonline.net or any other reliable source:

Islamic View of Jesus
Muhammad & Jesus: Common Ground
Domains of Muslim-Christian Cooperation
Status of Prophet `Isa (Jesus): Islamic View
Crucifixion: Fact or Fiction?
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